After Thoughts
by Black
Summary: Life goes on after the parasimon attack. A giant Digital Field that likes to toy with people's memories has appeared. Ryo tries to adapt to normal life after his second return, Kazu is needed more as a Tamer, And Takato's dreams are changing to nightmares
1. Chapter 1

* * *

**After Thoughts

* * *

**

"Alright class, today we have a new student." Ms. Asagi announced, snapping a ruler on her desk to wake Kazu up and regain Takato's attention.

Jeri and a one of her classmates, a girl with blond pigtails, Ayaka giggled at the two. Kazu tried vainly to make it look like it did it on purpose while the other youth just blushed nervously. It was hard to believe those two were Tamers. It was also hard to believe they were going to go through another year of this. Even though the Tamers had all become a year older since they first became Tamers, things still looked and felt the same. They even had the same teacher, and most of the same classmates.

"He's lived here before but he's moved a couple times back and fourth. Until recently, he lived in another district…"

_Although why anyone would want to move to Shinjuku, Japan when it's attacked by monsters every other week is beyond me. _The teacher thought to herself dryly.

"…So be nice to him."

_Not that he should have any trouble though._ She thought. _he's as confident as Kazu, maybe more. _

"That means if I hear he got a tour of the entire school…" That was basically code for shoving a guy into the girl's washroom. One time the teacher tried to avoid it by making Kazu show a girl around, but he just shoved her into the boy's washroom and even better, wedged the door shut.

"…I'm going to make you write until your hands wear to the bone."

"Wha, but that's not fair! Whatever happened to the spirit of demography?"

The brunette held her head, some of her hair falling over her shoulders. "First of all, it's democracy.

"Close enough."

"Second, it's also not fair when I get blamed for mentally damaging children when I send them with you."

True, the teacher could send the new students with any number of other children, and most the time that's what she did. However on days when the boy was being particularly difficult to deal with… It was either them or her.

Kazu, clad in his usual visor and heavy metal shirt, folded his arms, leaned back, and tried to act cool. "Ah they're all too soft anyway. Never gonna survive in this town if you can't take a little trauma."

"By what stretch of the imagination is _this_ a town?" Takato asked.

"Kazu has imagination?" Jeri asked mockingly.

"Yeah." Ayaka added. "I always thought he was just dense."

"I've got plenty of imagination. Take right now, for instance. I'm imagining not being here. I'm imagining myself saving you all from a hideous Ogremon and you all basking in my coolness… Except you Ayaka, you got eaten before I saved the day."

Another boy with clean cut dark blue hair and glasses smiled as he stood up and leaned over his friend. "Yeah right. Some imagination you got there, Kazu, didn't Takato do that last week?"

"Tch, it's not fair, I never get any credit."

"At any rate, my point still stands. No tricks, and again, I emphasize that means you Kazu. No cheese sandwiches, (Filling a students shoes with cheese) no plowing them in the face with a soccer ball, (Self explanatory) and NO pretending you know my measurements. (See previous caption.)"

Kazu scoffed. "Fine fine, I give. Although why anyone would want them I don't understand."

"Kazu..." Ms. Asagi said in her normal voice. But something was wrong, her eyebrow kept twitching oddly. "…You have detention."

"Huh? That's not fair! How long this time?"

You could almost swear the sky got darker as Ms. Asagi leered down at the boy. "How long are you going to be in my class?"

"…Umm, well…"

"Mind if I come in now?" Another voice called from the hallways, diverting attention away from Kazu. Not waiting for an answer, a boy with chestnut brown hair, a maroon shirt, and navy green slacks walked inside, causing most the class to oooo, and ahhhh…

"Oooo, Ahhhh"

…See. And Kazu to scream in a voice befitting a five year old girl. "Ryo! YOU RULE!

"There's a seat next to me and Kazu if you need it."

"Huh… Oh hi Kazu." Ryo waved casually and he took his spot standing next to the teacher and leaned into her a little. _"Don't sit me with him."_ He whispered.

"Does anyone have any questions or comments for our new student?"

"Hey, I know you." One of the girls mentioned. "Weren't you naked on one of the giant TVs screens when the big blob tried to eat us all?"

_Well, yeah… But what kind of person brings that up in a classroom in front of everybody?_

Ryo smiled uneasily. "Yep, but I wasn't the only one you know." Takato blushed furiously as Ryo tried to divert attention from himself.

"I know, but I was only looking at you" The girl winked.

"…_I take it back, Kazu's fine."_

As it turns out, that wasn't entirely true. While Ryo sat back and calmly tried to relax, the Visor child and his sidekick made that impossible by trying to talk to him. Fortunately the teacher made them stand out in the hall for a while under the pretext of disrupting the class. Recess came in no time at all, or at least that's what it felt like. Jeri ran out with Ayaka, but not of before waving goodbye to Takato and Kazu and Kenta. For Ryo, she bowed. It was kind of strange to him. They had known each other for a while now but still knew nothing of each other…

_Well, That's why I enrolled here isn't it. Rika's nice but I'm already friends with her… besides, no one is stuffing me into a penguin suit, uniform thing. _He thought with a smile.

"Hey Takato, let's go find Henry and eat lunch together." The boy didn't bother to invite Kazu or Kenta, he knew they'd come anyway.

"Sure, just let me put my books away."

Kazu chuckled to himself as he slapped Takato on the back. "Ah, Chumly. You and your 'books' crack me up."

The gogglehead smirked back. "Hey, unlike you, I actually care about not being grounded by my parents."

Kazu shrugged. "Eh? I'm gonna get grounded anyway. I just figured it might as well be for a reason."

"Kazu, I am in awe of your logic." Takato joked.

"Finally, some credit." Kazu laughed going along with it.

Recess was surprisingly mundane, as was the rest of the school day. Kazu got kicked out of class again for drowning out the teacher with his snoring. The day was over before anyone knew it and the children were just getting ready to go home.

"Geez, I can't believe how much homework we got today. I think I'll have to go straight home if I'm going to finish this on time."

"Why don't you come over to my house?" Henry asked, leaning in the doorway. "Dad's pretty good with math problems at least. Maybe he can help us out."

Ryo smiled. His chance to make a much more significant impression on Takato and Henry had arrived. He was never a genius, but he had done most of this kind of work before he went to the Digital World. Never thought getting lost in another dimension could have academic advantages… Actually, maybe that wasn't the right way to put it. He was, after all, being held back a grade because of it.

"Hey Takato, I could probably help you out."

"Eh? You… don't have Digimon to fight?" Takato asked, sounding ruder than he intended. Kazu elbowed him in the ribs as Ryo turned around. It would be a challenge to figure out if the gogglehead's comment had actually effected him or not.

"Okay, if you don't want my help then I'll see you tomorrow."

"Er, no wait. I just meant well, you usually disappear… all the time."

"He's got a point you know. Guess he had to have one sooner or later." Terriermon giggled as he landed on Ryo's head.

Henry appeared in the doorway. "Terriermon, remember that little chat we had about rudeness?"

"Nope."

The kids laughed. "Anyway, if you wanna help us out Ryo then by all means come with us."

"With all of us working together, we should be able to finish this in an hour." Ryo stated

"Awww, now isn't that funny. He actually thinks he has a hope of completing it on time." Terriermon smirked while Takato, Kazu, and Kenta just sweatdropped.

"The sad part is he's right." Takato grumbled, shuffling out of the classroom with his five friends in tow.

* * *

A girl with fiery red hair and a personality to match sorted through the desk with her usual lack of enthusiasm, making sure she had all the books she needed. Usually, that just meant all of them and today was no exception. Today was going to be a long day, but at least it wasn't going to be dull. Jeri was coming over so the two could do there homework together. Actually, better make that three since the former Tamer was also bringing a friend. Vikki… or something.

The dirt made a soft patting sound as Rika left. The first step out of school was always the best… until your cell phone rings. Rika picked the annoying device out of her pocket. Usually her mother called, but there was nothing going on today, and looking at the number, it was definitely not her mother who called her this time. She flicked it open.

"Hello?"

"It's Yamaki." A gritty voice replied. The introduction told her this wasn't a social call. Then again, a social call from Yamaki might make the world stop spinning.

"Great, what do you want now?"

There was a small chuckle on the other side of the phone. "Nice to talk to you too, Rika."

"You're the one that neglected to say hello." The Tamer rebutted casually.

Yamaki ignored the comment. "Can you go over to The Wong's residence. We have a bit of a situation."

The girl frowned inwardly as she left the school gates. "Is it important?"

"Yes, but it's not dangerous if that's what your thinking. It shouldn't take to long."

"All right, but this better be worth it."

No sooner did Rika hang up, did she start calling Jeri to inform her she'd be running a little behind schedule, while Yamaki place his phone and turned to see a woman with long red hair and brilliant green eyes holding in her own laugh.

"Was something about that funny to you, Riley?"

"No sir!" She replied doing a salute. "The whole thing was funny. You and Rika are way too much alike."

"She's right you know."

"You stay out of this Talley." The short haired blond stuck her tongue out at her boss as soon as he turned away to leave, Not realizing Yamaki had excellent peripheral vision. "And don't do that either."

"Eeep!"

Now while Yamaki may have left later than the Tamers for Henry's house, he had the two wonderful inventions of car, and driver's license. Rika had Kyuubimon. So by the time Henry, Ryo, Takato, and the rest walked in, he was sitting down, while Henry's mother brought them some tea.

"What took you gogglehead?"

The mop-head just stared back, surprised. "I… wasn't aware I was racing anyone."

"Hey Wildcat!" Ryo waved as he stepped inside as Rika's eye started twitching. "Wow… Looks like I picked a good day to come over."

"Ryo, remember that personal space rule?"

The brunette tilted his head. "You mean the three feet one?"

"For you it's twenty."

"Aw come on. That's out in the hallway."

"Actually it's the elevator…" Henry said, causing everyone to look at him. "…What? Suzie… measure once… We were really bored." Henry murmered.

Terriermon smirked. "Takato, I take back every bad thing I ever said about you and apply it to Henry."

"Thanks… wait, you were saying bad stuff about me?"

"Erherm!" Yamaki interrupted. "As many of you may have guessed, I didn't come here just to hear you squabble."

"You were nicer when you were fired." Terriermon replied as everyone took a seat around the older gentleman.

Kazu and Kenta gaze supporting grunts as they plopped down on the skin colored floor. Ryo moved to sit beside Rika and totally disregard her little 'rule', but the redhead grabbed Takato by the hem of his shirt and pulled him down next to her. The Gogglehead looked dumbfounded as he glanced at the others beside him. Rika wasn't even looking at him, like she was pretending she didn't do anything, and Ryo looked a bit perturbed.

"What did I do?"

"Well, I can explain it in small words for you if you like." Terriermon answered in Ryo's steed. "You see, first-"

"Quiet, Rabbitmon." Rika replied, silencing the bunny. "The sooner Yamaki tells us what's going the sooner we can get out of here."

"Someone's in a rush." Kazu quipped… a stupid thing to do when you're on the floor and within kicking distance of Rika.

Yamaki said nothing, but his lighter was on rapid click. Finally, when it seemed like everyone had settled down, the man started. "I'll be brief. There's a Digital Field, and like only a few before it, the landscape actually changes as soon as you enter it. Think IceDevimon's field, nature themed."

"…"

"Is that all?" Kazu called out, barely dodging Rika's foot again.

"Uh, what Digimon is in it?" Takato asked, thinking that might be in the important part.

Yamaki flicked his lighter again. "Some Monochromon, Palmon, Seadramon, and some new ones like Flamon."

"Wow, that field gotta be bigger than Guilmon's shed." Terriermon said. "Hey Henry, how come I don't have a house?"

"The same reason you don't have a car, it's safer for all of us."

The blond man frowned. "Actually, Terriermon, that's the problem. It is bigger than Guilmon's little shack, by about thirty square miles that we know of."

"WHAT!" Everyone called out at once. In the shadows, Renamon was surprised as well.

"How did it get so big?" Kenta asked.

"More importantly why haven't we seen it?" Rika interjected. Yamaki turned to her… Crap, Riley was right... again. They really did think similarly, at least in this regard.

"It's underground, it's integrated with our sewer system in a way that it not actually causing any problems yet. And there haven't been any fights either, although I trust you all understand how unlikely it is to stay that way."

A collective nod ensued.

"Right now Hypnos has a handle on things, but there's no telling how long that will last. Also, Digital Fields usually only exist to accommodate one or two Digimon as they Biomerge into our world, this is entirely different. There was around fifty last time we checked."

"Oh man."

Janyuu stepped into the living room, getting another frown from Yamaki. It the blonds hope that he could keep Tamer business just between him and the Tamers, but… Well, Henry's father wanted to know what was happening in his son's (and occasionally daughter's) life, wouldn't you?

"Do you have a plan of action?"

Yamaki nodded. "We don't need to do anything drastic right yet, I was hoping one of you could take a look around down there."

Now, usually Rika or Ryo would take this kind of task. But since Rika had to meet with Jeri soon, and Ryo was hoping to spend some time with the other Tamers, both were hesitant to volunteer. Kazu on the other hand was just looking for an excuse to dodge homework.

"I'll do it!"

Yamaki arched a brow. "…Kazu? Are you… sane?"

The boy jumped to his feet. "What's that suppose to mean? I AM a Tamer too, you know."

"Hmph, barely." Rika responded. Henry glanced at her nervously. That was a bit harsh. "You can hold your own, I'll give you that. But there are dozens of Digimon there. You'll get creamed."

"But-"

"I'm with Rika on this one." Ryo stated, avoiding Rika's death glare.

"That's not fair! If I remember correctly, there was a time when none of you could go past Champion either and you guys still did well. How am I suppose to learn if I can't even spread my wings."

"Great, he's gone delusional and thinks he's a bird." Terriermon giggled.

"Terriermon."

"I'll be careful, and I'll have Kenta with me too so it'll be safe."

"Yea…?" Kenta did a double take. "Wait, why are you dragging me into this?"

Yamaki flicked his lighter close and stood up, noticing all eyes were on him. It looked like the he would have to decide weather or not Kazu was allowed to go. "…Well then... let's go, you'll need a ride."

"Oh man." Kenta muttered quickly before Kazu began dragging him downstairs.

Rika and Yamaki followed suit next, Rika stopping by the door. "Hey Takato…" She didn't turn back, but the boys had a could still see the side of her face. She looked pretty serious about something.

"Yeah.?" The gogglehead turned toward his friend. "What's up Rika?"

"…Hmmm, nevermind. I'll ask you tomorrow. Oh, by the way Ryo. I'm guessing you enrolled in Shinjuku Elementary since you came home with Henry and everyone. Does that mean you're intending to stick around this time?"

Ryo folded his arms. "Dunno. Do you _want_ me you stick around?"

Rika glanced back grinning evilly. "Well, up until you made that comment. Take care you guys."

Takato couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of him. This kind of vying for the upper hand in a conversation was something only those two were evenly matched for. Granted, Rika wasn't all that happy about Ryo's sudden disappearance and emergence at the Parasimon incident, but she wouldn't let that get in the way of a long time rivalry err… I mean, friendship.

"Alright." Henry said, snapping Ryo out of his daze. "Time to hit the books."

And a few minutes later…

"You know Ryo, when I said hit the books I didn't mean literally."

The brunette glared back a moment before relenting a bit. He wasn't really angry, just frustrated. "I can't help it. This is impossible. How did any of you EVER pass her class."

Takato smiled. "We have a system."

"System…?"

"Ya, I copy Kazu, who copies Kenta, who copies that girl next to Jeri…"

"Ayaka, I think her name was."

"…Who copies Jeri. Hmmm, now where can we fit you in that… After Kazu maybe."

Henry sweatdropped a little. "It's kind of sad. I can answer most of your guys' questions if I had enough time, but Mr. Murray isn't always… there."

Ryo arched a brow. "Eh? Where is he then?"

"With Ms. Asagi." Takato commented casually. "He always goes along with her. Remember the field trip where the chicken attacked us?"

At this Ryo only became more confused. "A chicken? Takato did you lose it or something? Where did the chicken come from?"

Henry sighed, thankful the Terriermon was with Suzie right now or the disorder would only get worse. "Actually Takato. I was speaking figuratively, although you are right. He does spend some time fawning over Ms. Asagi. I heard they went to the park together one time too. As for the chicken, technically it was a rooster. The Rooster Deva, to be precise. It attacked the dam near our campsite."

"Ooookay" Ryo replied.

"It was pretty bizarre. He ate electricity and swelled up like a balloon. More than Guilmon at Rika's birthday party. And speaking of eating stuff, I haven't had anything since lunch. Mind if grab a snack."

"Help yourself." The blue haired Tamer replied.

"Thanks" Takato replied as he got up to leave. "Oh wait, you guys don't want anything do ya?"

"Naw, I'm good." Ryo replied.

"Same."

As soon as the door close Ryo glanced over to Henry. "…Well he's nice."

"You're just noticing that now?" Henry asked, arching a brow.

The brunette held up his hands. "Of course not. It's just kinda odd. I've never been around him in a normal setting. It's always been a festival, or a birthday, or the Digital World."

"Well that's because you're never around."

"I know, I know, but between the media, the fact that I lived in another district, disappearing again, the media again, and now moving… Time's been pretty tight."

"You moved?" Henry asked, a little surprised. Although it wasn't that complex a deduction, of course he would've moved in he's going to a school in Shinjuku rather than Kyushuu.

"I just finished unpacking yesterday."

"You should've asked us to help. It would have been a good time to hang out."

Ryo nodded. "Ya, I know you would've. But my dad is still kinda tense, with me being back and all. And when he's tense it's not a lot of fun working with him."

"You did it yourselves?" Henry asked.

"Well, three if you count Cyberdramon. Although the poor guy kept breaking some of the more fragile stuff, maybe I should've asked Takato and Guilmon after all." Ryo said, noting that while Guilmon was strong, he had a significantly gentler touch then his own partner. "Knowing those two they would've jumped at the chance to help." The boy finished musing to himself.

"Yep, that's why I like'em."

Ryo nodded. "I can see that. Rika too I'll bet. Speaking of which, do you think she's been acting strange lately. I mean, I know I've only been here little over a week but, well, I can't put my finger on it but something seems different."

Henry nodded as he jotted down one of the answers. Five down, another sixty seven to go. "I haven't really noticed anything. But it's possible since the Parasimon really messed around with her head. I asked Takato about it and he said I should ask Rika."

Ryo tilted his head. "Did you ask Rika?"

"Nope, it's not really all that important. And besides, if she wants me to know, she'll tell me."

"I see… Man I should ask you stuff like that more often."

Henry glanced up feeling a bit embarrassed as Takato reentered the room with a dessert. Kind of early for it but I guess if you can get away with it… "Heh. Yeah Henry's really good with this kind of thing."

Neither Ryo or Henry heard their friend though. They were too busy staring at whatever it was that was in the boys bowl. "Takato, what are you eating?"

"Eh? Chocolate sundae. Why, did you want some?"

"Ummm, doesn't it need ice cream to be a sundae?" Henry asked uneasily.

Ryo concurred. "No kidden, how much chocolate did you use."

The Gogglehead frowned. "Hey, come on. There _is_ ice cream in it… somewhere. I just figured, I would have a bit more of what I like better."

"How is that a bit?"

Takato sighed. "Forget it. You guys just don't understand art."

Ryo smirked as his friend delved into the snack…ish thing. "Ohhhh so it's art now. Well I hate to tell you this but you're ruing your piece."

Takato looked up with a huge chocolate drip on his chin. His mouth was even still full. "Mnnnoo! Making it better!"

"Takato, you eat like a pig, or worse, you eat like Guilmon." Henry stated bemused. "Well, I don't really care that much so long as you keep it off the carpet."

Nodding, Takato moved his textbook under his head. "Thanks."

Ryo chuckled at the mop-headed boy on his side. "Your incorrigible. I Hope Jeri hasn't seen that. Speaking of which, how it's going between you two? You were dating her when I left, right?"

Takato sighed. "Actually I was just walking her home. We haven't been on a real date. And by the looks of it, it won't be happening anytime soon… Err, not that I'm into that sort of thing."

Ryo smirked again. "Takato, even Terriermon is less obvious than you. So spill, what's the problem? It looked like… eh well, you know… after the D-Reaper."

"Well, that's what I hoped but when I asked her… she just said… no."

Ryo tilted his head. "You can't be serious, are you sure you did it right?"

"I'm only eleven, of course I'm not sure!" Takato shouted.

Ryo smirked. "Look, girls love it when you sweep them off their feet. If you really want to go out with Jeri, you'll march over her place, tell her how you feel and don't take 'No' for an answer."

"Okay… And you're sure that'll work."

"Of course, just look at me and Rika." The Legendary Tamer joked.

The gogglehead frowned. "Thanks for shattering that dream for me."

Ryo smiled. "Ah, you worry to much."

Meanwhile, in Shinjuku Park…

A little girl waved goodbye to her two friends as they all parted ways to go home. Well, actually one of them was already home, but anyways. The girl had blond hair tired into pigtails as was generally regarded as Kazu's Arch Nemesis in Ms. Asagi's class. Her name was Ayaka. And she suddenly found herself walking in fog, which was rather odd since it had been a clear night before hand.

"Huh? The forecast didn't call for fog tonight. Grrr, those stupid weatherman. What do we pay them for anyway?"

"**GRRAAAAAAHHHHHH!"**

"Eh? What was that? Mmm… I bet it's just some stupid boys trying to get their late night jollies."

Obvious, this girl had yet to encounter a real Digimon. It should also be obvious that she wandered into a Digital Field without even realizing it.

"Look out!"

"Brown Stinger!"

The girl glanced to where she heard the voice coming from, just in time to see a small pointy spike heading in her direction at a breakneck speed. She didn't have enough to duck, however she did have enough time to be shoved out of the way by another person. They landed hard on the ground. Ayaka winced from skidding on the pavement. At the very least her hero's body protected her from the small explosion the attack made.

"Owww"

"Oh man are you all… wait, Ayaka?"

The girl glanced up. She knew that voice anywhere, partially because she was forced to endure it every weekday. "Kazu!"

"Tch. Great now you're gonna rat me out for staying up late. Maybe I shouldn't have saved you."

The girl narrowed her eyes. "I don't know how, Kazu, but I'm willing to bet this is your fault."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. It's always my fault ain't it. Look just get out of here, alright."

"I would but your sitting on top of me you lecher." Ayaka replied angrily. The tension was thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Brown Stinger!"

Kazu half turned around and glaring at the oncoming attack. "I'll deal with you in a minute!"

* * *

**Digimodify! Power Activate!

* * *

**

"Guardian Barrage!" A slightly nerdy voice sounded off as a homing missile collided with the attack.

The explosion was more than enough to make a smoke screen as dirt and dust was propelled into the air. Kazu got up and pulled his fellow student to her feet before shoving her backwards.

"Go on, get out of here."

"…Uh." Ayaka was honestly a bit surprise at how serious Kazu sounded. Finally she nodded and turned around.

As his classmate disappeared into the smoke, Kazu lined up with his partner back to back. Guardromon grunted slightly. "Sorry Kazu, I can't seem to get a lock on the Digimon. It's very fast."

"And it flies." Kazu added. "It's a Flymon and I have one in my deck. It's pretty much a big bee with scarlet wings with yellow eye designs in the middle of them. More annoying than it is powerful."

"Scarlet?" Guardromon replied.

Kazu grinned. "I may not know much, but Digimon is my domain. I just can't seem to remember the attacks very well. I know one was Brown Stinger, but the other was…"

"Poison Powder!"

"Yeah that was it! Wait, are we under attack?"

Guardromon's head spun around to get a visual of his partner. "My audio sensors infer that that attack did not occur anywhere near us."

Kazu placed his hand on his chin. "The heck? That doesn't make any sense unless it found another target… Hmmm, Kenta maybe?"

"I believe it came from the direction that girl you saved ran towards."

"Eh? Oh crap."

* * *

**Digimodify! Hyper Speed Activate!

* * *

**

By the time Kazu and Guardromon reached their destination, the Flymon was already hovering over it's unconscious victim and the poison smog was still spreading. Kazu immediately searched the area for something he could use to shield her from the poison spores but he wasn't having much luck. He knew he could blow the cloud away, but from his current position he'd just blow all of it toward Ayaka. And the stupid insect didn't look like it was willing to let them get any closer. It was also to close for Guardromon to risk using his Guardian Barrage.

"Damn… If only I didn't get separated from Kenta. Yamaki was right. I'm in over my head." Kazu thought to himself.

Now, there comes a time in a man's life where he has to throw in the towel. To accept he is out of his league and that he is the loser. Yes there is a time to admit defeat, to withdraw before you get hurt, to deal with the changing times. And then… there is also a time when you just have to grit you're teeth, close your eyes and do something so incredibly brave and stupid, that even Davis would say 'Wow… and people call me dense'. Guess which one Kazu was.

* * *

**Digimodify! Hyperwing Activate!

* * *

**

"Umm, Kazu. I seem to be having a elevation problem."

Kazu, who was busy running towards the insect halted a moment. "Don't worry, just draw his fire."

"Er, Understood." The mechanical Digimon began waving his arms. "Over here you large, grotesque, bug monster."

"Try insulting it's mother."

"Very well… Your mother was a bug on my windshield once."

"Brown Stinger!"

_Well that worked…._

Kazu, brash as always, didn't even slow down when he entered the thick of the poison cloud. He covered is mouth but it wasn't that effective. The orange smog was so thick now he barely see in front of him, but he managed to find Ayaka… by tripping over her. Well, why argue with what works, huh?

Too bad Kazu still didn't have a way to stop her from breathing in the gas… or did he. He took of shirt, bundled it up and pressed it to her mouth lightly. He wasn't exactly sure how effective it would be, but it had to be better than nothing. Still, his job wasn't over yet. He still had to get out of the smog so Guardromon could blow it away without sending him into a tree, and lifting Ayaka was harder than he thought. The boy wasn't sure if it was just the poison working it's magic, or if Ayaka just really needed a diet, but either way his arms were killing him.

_Come on, don't wuss out now Kazu. Even your mom could handle this. _He thought to himself.

On the outside, Guardromon was getting pelted. He was a big heavy target, and if he dared fire back, he might risk ignited the poison smog. Wouldn't that just be lovely? Suddenly Kazu burst out shroud, Digivice and cards in hard. Oh, and shirtless no less. He was wheezing and despite his heroic stance, it was clear he was going on guts alone. The poison had definitely effected him. He dropped the blond on the ground carelessly as his body tried to suck in more oxygen and swipe his next card.

"Poison Powder!"

* * *

**Digimodify! Swanmon's special attack, white wing flapping!

* * *

**

Now Guardromon had been with his Tamer for a long time. And in the card game he was good, but this was easily one of the best moves he had ever seen his partner make. White Wing Flapping? A good choice made all the better by the fact that with the Hyperwing card Guardromon now has six of them. The poison was cleared out in a typhoon of power with tore right through the insect's frail wings forcing it to the ground, but the bug wasn't out yet. Or at least that's what it though as the machine Digimon wings began to flash-flicker.

"Umm, Kazu. I seem to be having another elevation problem."

"Brown Sting-"

**!SPLAT!**

…Another bug was now a gooey mess on Guardromon's frontal plate.

"Kazu sir! I seem to be having what you humans would call a headache."

"You an' me both buddy."

Kazu stumbled over to Ayaka, practically collapsing on top of her. At least his legs still had some strength in them. He checked he pulse, and felt her stomach, noting that he couldn't stop it fingers from shaking. Was it fatigue? The poison? Well, it didn't really matter. Her heart was fine, and her breathing strong.

_And she's still probably going to be angry at me. _The boythought, smiling in spite of himself.

Trying to push himself to his feet, he was surprised to have his arm give out on him completely.

"Kazu. Are you alright."

"No! I'm touching her, er, it, uh Ayaka. Ewww" The boy hollered back. "I-I just need a couple minutes to let the poison wear off I think. I'm just going to rest here."

_Not like I have much choice…_

"In the middle of the road?"

"Eh?"

Now the fog was clearing he could see he really was in the middle of a road, right by Shinjuku park. His head, however, was not on the road, it was on something soft and warm pulsating like a gentle massage that was making his eyes droopy. Yes his head had collapsed on Ayaka's chest. He tried to move it a couple times but his body just would not listen.

_I'm going to need an acid bath after this._

"Uh… I'm fine. You?"

"I may need a repair whenever you can manage, but I predict I will be as good as new in no time."

Kazu sighed. This was severely unpleasant. Ayaka was his enemy, an evil girl amongst a throne of evil girls. They were always against, Kazu and his loyal companion Kenta. And yet here he was using her as a pillow. Ugh, the boy would never let himself live this one up. But that's not what was really bothering him. The thing that was really bothering was…

_Why the hell is this so comfortable?_

Kazu sighed. He was steadily losing the energy it took to fight off the tiredness. Probably another side effect of the poison. How did he end up in this position. Let's see first there was…

Arguing with Ayaka.

…Walking home with Ryo…

……Chatting with Yamaki……

………Entering the Digital Field………

…………Getting lost and separated from Kenta…………

……………Following the Flymon……………

………………Encountering Ayaka (Again) ………………

…………………Defeating the Flymon …………………

……………………And finally checking to make sure she was alright……………………

………………………She was warm………………………

_Man Takato… Henry… and Rika… How do you guys do this all the time?_

...ZzZ…

* * *

-I only Proofread this once so it's bound to be full of errors. It's also kind of a side project so I didn't bother sending it to AOF.

- I have no idea why I gave the story the said name. I don't intend on naming chapter either. I just wanted to do a story that displayed the Tamers lives after the Parasimon. The whole giant Digital Field thing is just a way for me to keep them grounded on their Tamer tasks. They will also have to face other prospects such as getting a job, parental squabbles, ect. As for each character…

-Well let's start off with Kazu. I find that he is like Davis. Despite having his moments he is not that bright. Big deal, when was it written you need to be smart to be a good person. Kazu has other redeemable traits, such as the ability to cheer people up, his wit, and his infectious personality. I happed to like this character, which is why I handled him like so. Ayaka is also a character in Tamers, another of Takato's classmates. In the series, she was often portray as a general girl with somewhat of a grudge against Kazu.

"Besides, I know plenty of girls that like the fight."

"Oh I'm sure you have. Hee hee. Like Ayaka, you want to fight with Kazu, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ummm, guys… I think we lost that round."

_-Takato, Jeri, Ayaka, and Kazu. Episode seven, now you see it, now you don't_.

-Very few people seem to understand the friendship between Jeri and Rika, and honestly I'm rather shaky on it myself. Despite being different in almost every way, they were actually displayed as being quite good friends. Rika even mentored Jeri as I recall. I am well aware portraying Jeri properly will be one of my biggest tasks since I've never had much luck understanding her character the way I do the others… That sounded pretty pompas of me, didn't it…

-Impmon, often overlooked in fics with the Tamers. I intent to develop his relationship with Takato, Guilmon, Renamon, and Jeri a fair amount. After all, he is a main character. The issue with him is that most think he'd always be sidetracked by his Tamers. I don't intend to do this. Impmon developed a very outgoing, in your face lifestyle and I don't think he's abandon it completely after finding his Tamers.

-Asagi, Mie, Takehiro, Yamaki. Another hurdle to overcome. You're probably wondering what all the characters have in common. The answer is that they've all been mentors to Takato, and all (Except Asagi, but I intend to fix that) have learned something from him as well. A wise man knows how ignorant he is, and Takato has a great deal more to learn from these people.

-Henry. He'll be in support. Why, because he is extremely mature and developed already. His biggest asset though, is his family, they add to his character, and show how became what he is. It makes sense to since Henry always had trouble making friends before Takato and Rika. And even in the end his closest ties are still with them.

-Alice is somewhat of a mystery. But she is also unique, and very interesting. Because of this, I will be including her later on. I look forward to developing her relationship with Takato, since no one is and island, it would be unrealistic to declare that she will be on her own, forgotten forever.

-Ryo is one year older than the Tamers it's true, but he missed three months of school plus however long the Tamers were in the Digital World. The would make it virtually impossible to pass, thus he'd retake the grade


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright. AnT has kindly pointed out to me that I got the names Miki, and Nikki confused. There is no one in Tamer name Nikki. Furthermore, Miki is a short black haired girl, the one with coppery colored pig-tails is named Ayaka. Go AnT!**

**-Changes (Most of them based on Omnicrom's comments) have been made to the first chapter. You might want to reread it, but they don't affect the story too much… Except for when Takato ran off to tell Jeri his feelings. That was somewhat important, but I took it out since it didn't fit with his character. Go Omni...

* * *

**

**After Thoughts – Chapter 2

* * *

**

"Hey! Don't put your arm there."

"Grr. Yes your highness."

"…You think you could pick up the slack? We're going to be late." A girl with copper blond hair, short green skirt, and yellow halter top ordered, with her arm slung around a brown haired boy next to her.

"No," Kazu angrily replied back, barely managing not to simply drop his… acquaintance on the sidewalk. _"But I could leave you under the nearest tire."_

"Did you say something?" Ayaka asked.

"No ma'am. Why do I have to take you home anyway?"

"Simple," the girl responded. "Because of you, I can't walk on my own."

"That's not what I meant. I meant to ask why don't I just drop you off at the hospital?" The visor boy asked, pausing briefly before he registered the rest of what Ayaka said. "And it is not my fault! The Flymon did it."

Ayaka smirked. "What's the matter Kazu, I thought you wanted credit?"

"This isn't what I meant and you know it." Kazu responded as he turned back to his partner. "Hang on, why aren't you carrying us?"

"Sorry Kazu. My boosters and hydraulics received damage in the fall at the end of the fight. I'm not sure how much I can hold right now but I know it'll take some time before they recover."

The brown haired boy nodded. "…Alright. Remind me to get a Seed of Life card later."

"Hold on Kazu." The girl started. "My legs are seizing up… We need to take a break."

"Again? Geez and _you're_ telling me to hurry up."

"Be quiet. I hear enough of your voice in class."

"Fine."

Kazu released his grip, letting the girl hobble over to the stoop of a nearby building. Honestly, watching her move like that kinda made the Tamer feel a little bad for her. Of course, he'd feel a lot worse if she just kept her mouth shut for two seconds. Ayaka began trying to massage her leg while Kazu did systems check on Guardromon… well, as close to a system check as he could anyway. He couldn't really do anything but twist loose wires together. Even so, it still helped his partner feel better. Then he turned towards his classmate.

"…Can you walk yet?"

"No!" Ayaka replied, frustrated. "And your asking isn't helping."

Kazu folded his arms. "Geez, at the rate you're going, we won't get to your house until next week."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Kazu sighed as he walked over and knelt over. The pigtailed girl tilted her head in confusion… that is, until the boy jammed his thumb into the back her leg.

"Oww! Oww! Owww!" Ayaka yelled as she bent over. All the muscles in her body tensed, although Kazu didn't really look like he cared.

"Quit whining. It doesn't hurt."

The girl grabbed his hand and tried to push away, while at the same time tried to lift her leg. "I beg to differ!"

After a bit more struggling, the pain in her leg was gone. It disappeared all at once, although she could still feel where it had been. "See, you're fine. Now is the other leg bugging you too?"

"Mmmm." Ayaka moaned a bit as the rest of her body relaxed. "No, it's fine. But…. What did you do?"

"I pressed on a release point until the muscle relaxed. Mom showed me how to do it. You're kinda lucky, I've heard of some that last a half an hour. But I figured this one wasn't that bad since it was indirectly caused by the poison."

"…" The girl pressed her hands into her skirt as Kazu turned around.

"Hop on."

"I'm fine with how we were traveling before, you know."

Kazu smirked. "Yeah but I'm not. You go too slow when you drag your legs. And anyway I've already recovered from the poison you should be way lighter now."

"Alright, I'll let you carry me just this once."

"Hah, this is probably the only time I'll touch you with a ten foot pole and an oxygen mask."

Ayaka responded by drilling her first into the boy's head. Her legs may have still been fuzzy, but her upper body worked fine. Kazu, wisely made the decision to keep quiet after that. At least until he reached her house, a tall brown grungy building only a few blocks away from where Kazu lived.

"Here we are. You can let me down now."

Kazu hunched over, deciding to forgo a smart remark on the girl's weight. She had been through enough tonight, and plus she could still hammer him in the ribs at this point. "Alright, mission accomplished. Guardromon, let's head on home."

"You're not even going to stick around to introduce yourself to her parents?" The machine monster asked.

"Why would I want to do that?" Kazu asked

Guardromon paused. "Because it's the polite thing to do?"

"Maybe some other time, it's late."

The heavy metal fan smiled to himself as he heard Ayaka's worried family take her inside with mentions of tea and a hot water bottle. Parents, can't live with 'em but everyone would be lost without 'em. He was probably going to get in trouble for staying out late, and also for disappearing out of the Digital Field. Ah whatever, he'd call Yamaki when he got home.

"Excuse me?"

Kazu turned as an older woman's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She had short red hair, ending just above her shoulders in fact as well as green eyes. She was also dressed conservatively in a purple sweater. "Yeah? If you want the time I don't have a watch. Although judging by the moon I'd say it's… uh, late."

"Uh no, it's not that-"

"The current time is 10:35 pm and twenty two seconds." Guardromon informed.

The woman sighed. "No, it has nothing to do with that. Ayaka told me what happened and both my husband and I wish to express our gratitude."

The brunette shrugged. "It's no big deal. If you had a five foot mech with homing missiles I'm sure you'd do the same."

"So this is a Digimon." The woman said marveling at Guardromon, although she seemed a bit nervous, too nervous to actually approach him. "May I ask you name?"

"Guardromon. And this is my Tamer Kazu Shioda."

"Hey, I'll do the intros around here." The boy whined.

"Kazu… Kazu… Are you the same Kazu who wedged my little girl into the boy's bathroom."

Again, Kazu shrugged. "I don't keep track of my victims… but it definitely sounds like me."

"From what my daughter has told me… You're a horrible little monster. But it seems she's exaggerated again."

"Not really, you should've seen what I did to Takato and Kenta when I first met them." The boy gloated.

"Anyway, Kazu. It's nice to meet you. To be honest I was beginning to wonder if the Tamers that keep this city safe were just a rumor."

"Nope, we're real. Didn't you see the D-Reaper?"

"Yes, but we never saw the actual Tamers. Anyway, I've forgotten to introduce myself. I'm Ayaka's mother, Yuri Tamachi." The woman held out her hand and Kazu took it.

"And, like my partner said, I'm Kazu. Nice to know not all the girls in Ayaka's family aren't evil… Wait, that didn't come out right."

The woman laughed. "She didn't tell me you had a sense of humor."

"She talks about me? That's kinda… creepy."

"Well, anyway. If you have time, after school, why don't you stop over? I'd love to get to know you better."

Now normally Kazu would like to play with his friends. But how could he turn down such a sincere offer such as that one. Besides, this woman, who he had known for less than two minutes, was already treating him like some kind of hero. And honestly, it felt good.

"Sounds like a plan… Wait, Is Ayaka going to be there?"

The woman chuckled again. "Well, it _is_ her house."

"Nuts… Well, I guess I can deal with it. You wouldn't happen to have a taser I could borrow, would ya?"

Mrs. Tamachi waved and turned around, ignored Kazu's question. "Then it's settled, see you tomorrow.

"…Should've asked if they had a bat."

"Hmmm, I could lend you my arm." Guardromon offered.

"Nevermind. Let's just go."

Without the extra baggage Kazu was able to get home pretty quickly. He knocked on his door and waited for one of the expected two to answer it. Sure enough, an older man with black hair and average build opened it, then smacked the kid upside the head.

"That's for making your mother worry."

Kazu rubbed his head smiling. "Yeah, I know I'm late. Sorry, but a giant bug attacked me."

"Figured it was something like that. Anyway, I kept your food warm, but be quiet. Wake your mother up and I'll use you as a lawnmower." The man, apparently Kazu's father threatened with a half smile.

The boy just laughed. His dad was the kind that could never really express himself properly. Neither was his mom, which was probably were the boy got his abrasiveness to begin with. Still, if actions spoke louder than words, then this family was definitely a loving one, not that you'd ever hear any of them describe themselves that way.

"Any vegetables?" The pre-teen asked.

"Yep, plenty just for you." His dad responded smirking.

Kazu frowned, then forced a yawn. "Actually I'm kinda tired. I think I'll just pass on dinner tonight."

The older man chuckled to himself. "Fine by me, it'll be waiting here for you tomorrow."

"…On second thought... Guardromon, let's eat."

* * *

And a beautiful new day begins. Unfortunately for most kids, it usual begins with a wretched trip to a place where they force unpaid labor. Kazu shuffled into the classroom groggily, feeling the sleep deprivation all over. Someone, though, he doubted it would make a difference to his teacher. Takato and Kenta both gave him worried glances, but class started before they could ask him about it.

"Alright class. I hope you did your homework last night." Ms. Asagi narrowed her eyes at Kazu and Kenta. Takato was slightly more reliable but still… she shot him a glance too.

"Uh, teach!" Kazu held up his hand. "I didn't do my homework, but I have a good excuse."

The brown haired woman frowned. "As opposed to the poor excuses you usually have."

"Yeah, I was out fighting Digimon."

Nami folded her arms. "We've been over this. Fighting Digimon is not a career, thus, it's your responsibility to get your work done anyway."

"Yeah but this one paralyzes." Kazu complained. "Kenta, back me up here."

"No way, you ditched me in the Digital Field."

"Ugh. This sucks."

The teacher let her shoulders sink back. "Really Shioda. You'd think you be expecting it by now."

"Actually." Ayaka started. "I was with him when the Digimon attacked. He was out for a few hours I think."

"Tch, still woke up earlier than you." The brown haired boy shot back.

"I wasn't insulting you dimwit, I was affirming your story."

Kazu folded his arms. "My story doesn't need your affirming. It was perfect the way it was."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" The pigtailed girl called out, raising her voice so everyone could hear it.

"Me?" Kazu stood up. "You're the one butting in where you're not wanted."

"Umm, Kazu. Are you sure you want to start an argument here?" Takato asked, attempting to calm his friend before Ms. Asagi decided to get involved. Unfortunately it was a little late for that. The teacher sent both of them outside on either side of the door, then gave them detention.

"This is your fault too, you know." Ayaka said.

"Yeah right. Stupid girl."

"Idiot boy."

"…I'm still having dinner at your place, right?"

Ayaka slapped her forehead. He just _had_ to remind her about that.

At the end of the day things between the two had quieted down. The Tamers and their friends were wandering away from school, intent on going wherever they needed while they chatted, not that they actually knew where that was yet.

"So Ryo. Wanna join us again at Henry's house for homework?"

The legendary Tamer nodded. "Sounds good. Who knows, maybe Rika will even be waiting there for me again." Ryo smirked to himself.

"Arf' Arf' or maybe for Ta-Ka-To." Jeri's sock puppet said cheerfully, causing Ryo to turn around.

"…?"

"I'll be a little behind since I have to go visit Guilmon." The goggle boy explained. "So don't wait up."

Kazu folded his arms behind his head. "I'd like to join you guys but I gotta go elsewhere."

"Yeah right. You never have anywhere to go." Kenta replied, a bit skeptically.

"I know, I know. You'll probably all miss me… especially Rika." The other Tamers stifled a laughed. "But I've been invited to Ayaka's place so…"

Kenta blinked. "…Wow. Not even one date and you're already meeting her parents."

The visor boy elbowed his friend. "Yeah right. It's not like that. I met her parents last night when I dropped her off."

"Kazu, what exactly happened between you two?" Henry asked.

"Ah you know the drill. She gets attacked, I save the day, she blames me for the attack anyway."

"A modern classic." Ryo said grinning.

Jeri glanced over. "So what are you going to wear?"

"Eh? You're looking at it."

The puppeteer shook her head. "I thought as much." Suddenly she grabbed Kazu's hand and began pulling him off in a different direction. "Boys are hopeless that way. That's why it's a good thing I'm here. We'll have you looking handsome before you know it."

Kazu's blood ran cold. Wasn't 'handsome' girl's code for 'beat me up, please'? "Eh, hey wait. What if I don't wanna look handsome!"

"See you tomorrow Kazu." Ryo waved along with Takato who was chuckling.

"I think I'll be a bit late too." Kenta stated. "I want to bring MarineAngemon with me."

"Okay, we'll do what we can before you arrive." Henry replied nodding.

The boys waved as Kenta split off from the group after they left the gate. On their other side was Ms. Asagi talking with a young man that none of them had seen before. While Henry and Ryo turned left, Takato slowed down, so that he was just standing in the gate. Whatever Ms. Asagi was talking about, it seemed to be putting her in a pretty bad mood. The gogglehead began walking towards her.

_I wonder what they're talking about. Well, it would be rude to butt into their conversation just for that… I should think of an excuse._

"C'mon Nami. Please take me back. Honestly, I've changed."

The woman folded her arms. "Like the three times before? I didn't take you back then and I'm not doing it now. Please, just go before you embarrass yourself further."

Suddenly the man, who actually looked more like a geezer refusing to accept his age with his leather jacket and blue jeans, grabbed her hand forcefully. "I'm not leaving, not without you." He said, his tone changing quickly to sound more like an order, than a plea.

"I'd advise moving your hand." Ms. Asagi replied unshaken.

The man narrowed his eyes, but not at the brown-haired woman. He was glaring at the kid who just started tugging on her shirt. "Beat it kid!"

Takato almost jumped back at the man's hiss… almost. "O-okay. Just a second, though. Hey Ms. Asagi. I didn't quite understand the explanation to que-ehh!"

The teacher grabbed Takato and pressed him against her legs, restricting his movement. "Ah, sweetie. Did you need help with something?" The woman said is a bizarrely cheerful voice.

"S-sweety?" Takato suddenly felt ill. This was not a pleasant position to be in.

"Nami! What's going on?"

"Didn't you know? This is my child." The woman tightened her grip. _"Go along with this and you won't have to do homework for a week."_

"_Deal, but you're hurting me."_ Takato responded."…Er. Okay… mom."

The man released his grip and began back stepping. "Uh, on second thought. Don't worry about calling me, babe, I'll call you."

"Not if I get rid of my phone." Ms. Asagi muttered to herself. "…Well that wasn't so difficult. Thanks Takato. I suppose I owe you."

The boy shook his head blushing slightly. "Nah, I would've helped you out anyway. But since you made that homework offer… Anyway, who was that guy, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He used to be a high school sweetheart. I dumped him when I realized he had no future though. Everyone once in a while he shows up again, usually because he needs something."

"I see. Is he usually that physical?"

Nami shook her head. "No, that was a first. It'll probably be a last too seeing as how most men don't like baggage."

Takato tilted his head. "I'm… baggage?"

"In this case…" The woman shifted her eyes. This wasn't exactly a fun topic to be talking about and she began searching for something to change it. "Oh, you said you needed help with something."

"Yeah." Takato laughed to himself. "Questions one to sixty."

"…"

"Relax. It's just a joke." The boy yelped immediately going to the defensive from his teacher's stare. "I was just conce… curious so I made up a question that would keep you occupied. I think I did something like this on the camping trip last year too."

"I remember that. You wanted to know how to work the camera you had no film for."

"Actually I wanted to sneak Guilmon on the bus while you weren't looking. The camera's digital."

"Takato, it's a wonder I'm still sane with you around. How is your Guil…mon anyway?" She asked, unsure if she got the word right or not.

The gogglehead smiled he thought of the red saurian. "Great as always. As long as the two governing forces in his life exist, bread and peanut butter, he's always in a good mood."

Ms Asagi laughed to herself. "That's nice. Hearing you talk about him like that almost makes me wish I was still young enough to have one."

Takato glanced at the ground. "For you… let's see… I think, maybe a Gatomon would suit you pretty well."

"A Gatomon?"

"Yep." The gogglehead replied, oblivious to the fact that his teacher had no idea what a Gatomon actually was. "Anyway, I think Ryo's getting tired of waiting for me. See you tomorrow Ms. Asagi."

"Bye."

* * *

Meanwhile at Hypnos…

Tension filled the air as Yamaki plowed into the dome shaped control room of Hypnos. Both Riley and Talley were working hard in their suspended seats, barely keeping ahead of the new problem. The blond haired man raced over to the nearest free terminal and began his analyses.

"How long ago did it start?"

"Just now." Talley responded. "It's like that giant Digital field is caving in on itself. It's too big."

"Not quite. It's condensing." Yamaki said sternly. "Almost like its reformatting itself."

"Can they do that?" Talley asked.

Yamaki shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it before. Riley, what about the Digimon that were in the field?"

"Nothing's showing up on the scanners."

"Did they leave?"

Riley paused a second as she typed in a new set of commands. "…No Bio-emergences what-so-ever. They're just… gone."

"Maybe it's interference." Talley suggested.

"Maybe if there was just one or two Digimon, but seventy? No way. I would've seen something."

"They didn't just disappear." Yamaki growled. "Talley, take over looking for the Digimon. Riley, I want you to help me stabilize the system. The damage to the aqueducts we can deal with later, right now we just have to work on containing the problem and keeping it from blowing up our systems."

The maroon haired woman nodded. "This should be a cake walk after our experience with that red symbol."

"You mean the one that almost flat-lined the Digital World."

"Yep."

"Less talking, more typing." Yamaki ordered. "…And someone get in touch with the Tamers. I have a feeling we'll be needing them."

* * *

And speaking of the Tamers... Well, one of them…

"Great, you've successfully turned me into a monkey, can I go now?" Kazu asked, looking around his pale yellow colored room. Clothes had been tossed everywhere and now covered almost every square inch of it.

Jeri shook her head as she began laying out ties on the boy's bed. "Not quite. You still need to pick one of these out."

Kazu let his eyes gloss over at the sight of the colorful fabric. "Glorified nooses? No thanks. I already look dumb enough that even a nerd would try to beat me up. I can't believe my dad wore this when he was my age."

"Well it's not my fault you don't have any nice clothes that aren't hand me downs from the seventies."

Kazu folded his arms. "What if I just meet you half way, like I just have to wear the shirt or something?"

"At this point I'd settle for something that was clean."

The visor boy motioned to a basket in the corner overflowing with laundry. "Just have to make things difficult, don't you."

* * *

Elsewhere, Rika, Takato, Henry, and Ryo were receiving phone calls informing them of what was happening in the digital field. However they couldn't exactly just leave their schoolwork unchecked, which is what brings them to their current position, huddled around Henry's phone on speaker with Rika on the other end.

"Well, I'm pretty good with homework. I can still get it done before class if I go now." Henry said.

Takato smiled sheepishly. "I can come. Ms. Asagi always says me and Kazu trying to do homework is like beating a dead horse."

"Doesn't exactly give you a good excuse." Ryo mentioned. "What about me? Justimon can fit in the sewers better than MegaGargomon."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Ryo." Takato interjected. "Ms. Asagi is ruthless on new kids."

Ryo arched a brow. "What about you?"

"She's expects it out of me now."

Terriermon jumped onto Takato's head, surprising the kid from behind. "The sad part is that's true."

"_Well, I'm definitely going. My teacher cuts me break since his house was nearly destroyed by the D-Reaper and he was possessed by the Parasimon. Besides, Hypnos said this was a Recon task. Renamon's ideally suited. No offence Goggles but Guilmon isn't. And see if Kenta wants to come when he gets there."_

Ryo nodded. "Alright. MarineAngemon might be kinda useful in the cramped up aqueducts. I think they mentioned that the insides of the Digital Field were changing shape so it might not be a natural setting this time."

"_I already know that Akiyama."_

The legendary tamer smiled. "Right, just thought I'd mention it anyway. It looks like it's just you and me for now Takato."

The gogglehead nodded. "Alright, take care, Henry. And Rika, try not to do anything too rash."

"This coming from the kid who took a swim in the D-Reaper first," giggled Terriermon.

_"For once I agree with the rabbit._ _Henry, mind if we meet a block down from Takato's place. It's the closest spot between us that links up with the Digital Field."_

The blue haired Tamer held out his arm, letting Terriermon jump to it and sling his ear around his neck. "Sounds good. See you guys later." He said, making sure he had his cards on him. He also gave a brief explanation of what was going on to his mother, although she couldn't understand it as well as his dad.

Takato and Ryo gave a short goodbye wave before heading into Henry's room. Suzie ran up to greet them, hugging their legs. Takato patted her on the head while Ryo just smiled. The Legendary Tamer never had any younger siblings. His family was always pretty cut up. And even in the Digital World he rarely ran into infants. Maybe that's why he usually had a hard time connecting with them. Takato on the other hand, had plenty of experience from his earlier dealings with Guilmon. Well, actually Suzie was quite different from the dino, but still.

"Ryo! Are you okay? You're kinda looking at us funny." Takato questioned.

The elder Tamer ignored the question as he brushed by Takato and made his way to Henry's room. "Hmmm. It must be so nice to have a little sister."

"…Oookay. And people say I'm weird."

Suzie giggled. "That's because you awre!"

"Thanks the uplifting vote of confidence." The gogglehead joked as he tickled the girl under her arms. Afterwards he followed after Ryo.

"Alright, we should probably get down to it, if question one…"

And ten minutes later…

"Alright, the answer is 65.3. How many have we done now?"

"One."

"…" Ryo stared blankly at his friend. "You're joking right?"

"I wish." Takato groaned letting his head droop. He was lying on a futon across from the Legendary Tamer. "Ms. Asagi is a pretty mean teacher you know." _"Glad I don't have to do any of this."_

The boy nodded. "I gathered. She seems to be pretty well regarded by her peers though."

The gogglehead blinked a couple times. "Huh? What makes you say that?"

"The principal said so. When he was showing me which class I was going to be in, he said 'You're lucky you're getting a good teacher like Ms. Asagi, even though her classroom is already full'. I forget exactly what else he said, but it seems she went out of her way to get me in her class since I was a Tamer."

"Okay… but then why wouldn't she do the same with Henry?"

"Henry already goes to the school and doesn't cause many problems." Ryo explained. "I, on the other hand, am pretty well known for my disappearing acts. Generally speaking, not a lot of schools like to deal with hordes of cameras unless it's about something good."

"Wait, wait." Takato cut his friend off waving his arms. "You say that but I haven't seen a single camera since you got here."

"Well…" The Tamer smirked. "Why do you think I moved? And why do you think just me, dad, and Cyberdramon handled it?"

Takato tilted his head. "Never… thought about it."

"Anyway, like I was saying. Even if you disregard the media, not everyone has a positive outlook on Digimon either. There haven't been any documentaries on them, just the media coverage during D-Reaper and Parasimon attacks. Their logic runs something like 'Digimon equals big ugly that blows up city.' Heck there are even people so badly informed they think Digimon refers specifically to the Devas and the other creatures are something else."

"Wow," murmured Takato, rolling onto his back. "I didn't even realize… I haven't had to deal with any of this."

Ryo nodded again, even though his friend couldn't see him at the moment. "I suspect Yamaki or Mr. Wong had something to do with keeping you guys away from that kind of thing. Now where was I, oh yeah. My dad had to do individual interviews with a load of teachers and principals to find ones that would have me. There was only about twenty in Tokyo and two in this district."

"Ms. Asagi…" Takato grinned.

"Yep, and another guy called Mr. Maury. Asagi has a better rep though. And after all the effort it took her to convince the school board to see things our way, I'm not surprised. I think even your parents read a statement that really helped convince them… 'bout a month ago."

Takato nodded. "I remember that day. They said they had to go to a meeting and came back in a really good mood. We had ice cream and Guilmon Bread."

The older brunette's lips smirked. "I see. Could you actually see the ice cream that time?"

"Of course, my parents would never let me get away with something like that… Hey Ryo." Takato lifted his eyes up, managing to see the top of his fellow Tamer's head.

"Hmm?" Ryo had returned to the equations.

"What's it like to be famous? I mean, I heard some bad stories but it really seems kinda nice, everyone knowing who you are…"

The boy shrugged. "You're probably better off asking Rika or her mother. As far as I go, a lot of people know my name and face but that's about it."

"Isn't that what being famous is?"

Ryo sighed. "Let me put it this way. I can't tell you the number of times people have asked for my autograph on the back of a picture of Gallantmon or his Crimson Mode."

"Eh?" The mop-head rolled over back onto his stomach. "Really?"

"Yep... I'm just curious as to how anyone got that picture. But yeah, again, it's all reputation. A lot of people know I'm the best at the card game, plus I returned to the city around the same time your Biomerged form first appeared here. It's kinda funny that they don't even know your name though. Every time I explain it to someone it's always 'Takato who?'"

Takato's lips curled back. "Maybe it's funny to you. You're the 'Legendary Tamer' after all. I think a little fame might actually be kind of neat."

Ryo smirked again. "Well try looking at it this way. I may be the Legendary Tamer, but you're the Leader of the Tamers."

"Eh?" Takato blinked back.

"Well, it makes sense. You may not be much in the card game, but you're pretty good when it comes to the real stuff, especially Biomerging. Makes me damn glad we're on the same side."

Takato kept his confused look, although now it was for a different reason. He couldn't quite tell if Ryo was trying to compliment him or just make sure he knew who won the last tournament. "…Uh… Thanks?"

"You and Guilmon are faster, stronger, and more versatile than any of the other mega's here… You know… It actually felt like I was holding you back during the Parasimon attack."

"What are you talking about! You took out a dozen of those things." Takato loudly exclaimed.

"…And got caught a second later." Ryo continued, slightly perturbed. "Don't think I didn't notice that you had to cut the thing off me, which distracted you long enough for them to cage you in. Then Sakuyamon got worried about you and she... Man, we almost got wasted..."

"…MegaGargomon was caught too you know." The gogglehead said sheepishly, trying to get Ryo to stop putting himself down. It was strange to hear the boy that usually seemed to radiate self confidence talk this way.

"MegaGargomon took down a hundred of those things before they were anywhere near him."

"…"

"…"

The Legendary Tamer glanced down. The idea of getting any homework done within the next hour had seemingly gone out the window. Still, he was eager for a distraction. He picked up his pencil and tried vainly to concentrate on all the meaningless numbers.

"Ryo…"

"Let's… try talking about something more positive." Ryo suggested.

Takato agreed entirely. "I think Henry still has some more of the ice cream from yesterday. No more chocolate sauce though. And I think Henry got a new video game a couple days ago, but I haven't played it yet. Want to give it a whirl?"

Ryo nodded, his usual smile had returned. "Yeah, Ms. Asagi probably won't be too happy but I could use a break from the one _single_ question we did."

The elder Tamer shuffled through a series of papers, most of which consisted of projects used for various classes, although a few of Takato's drawings were mixed in. He eventually found a stack of computer games on the bottom and grabbed the one that looked to be the newest one, basically the one with the fewest scratches.

"Ryo, is everything ready?"

"Yep. It's an online fighting game. Don't think just because we're friends that I'll hold back on you."

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of Shinjuku, two forms entered into a white void. One was armed with nothing more than a green rabbit and blue sunglasses, while the other was the unofficial poster child for girl power in her white overcoat, T-shirt and jeans. Henry and Rika, along with the respective Digimon, had just entered the digital field while Terriermon eagerly shoved a cream puff in his mouth, expecting to be attacked as soon as he entered. He was visibly disappointed when all that was there was just a dirt field with some trees, a road, and a few homes in the distance.

"That's odd. There's no one here."

Rika nodded. "I thought this place would be swarming with Digimon… Renamon?"

"I can't sense anything." The kitsune replied.

"Doesn't mean there's nothing here though." Henry said sternly. Hey Rika, you have your cellphone with you right? Maybe you should give Yamaki a call."

Terriermon giggled to himself while Rika pulled out her phone. "Well at least now we know where to ditch Impmon if he's ever being a pain."

"Hmmm. This place looks kinda familiar."

"Perhaps because it is." Renamon said. Henry glanced at her and then followed her gaze.

"What the, no way, it can't be…"

* * *

**Notes:**

**-Alright, first of all, I noticed very few fics actually work on developing a relationship with Ryo. That's one reason I chose to have him and Takato pair up on doing their work. That, and since I'm a Rukato author, pairing him up with Rika seems kinda clique. That may come later though.**

**-I didn't cover this in this chapter, so it'll probably be later. Ryo is one year older. He would've been held back a grade though for incomplete work. Hence, he is in the same grade.**

**-Speacking of grades. For all those that think Ms. Asagi would never let Takato get off of homework barring some kind of serious injury, you're right. But explanations of her deviousness will have to wait I'm afraid. I doubt it'll even been covered in the next chapter.**

**-The Digimon came back in six months, I think it's fair to say most of them would've had their birthdays at some point over the season, hence they are all a year older. Sorry I didn't explain this.**

**-Often fics with Jeri have her only socializing with Takato. I am changing this. She will help Kazu on his date.**

**Kazu: It's not a date!**

**Quiet, I'm typing. Anyway, Jeri was mostly a normal girl except for the sock puppet, however in the series, all the moments I can remember off hand usually involve Takato because she was made as direct support for him. Doesn't mean she can't have a life... Well, at least not in this fic.**

**-If you're waiting for Alice, Impmon, or Guilmon to show up, then be careful about holding your breath. I'm not trying to exclude any of them. Neither will I exclude Kai and Minami. But it's not like they will just show up for no reason either. Guilmon, Impmon, and Calumon are the ones that will most likely show up in coming chapters. But I don't know when due to the sketchiness of my planning of this fic.

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**

**Reviews:**

Sword, Staff and Bow – Well, I'm glad you can only see one of them. As for Ryo, see Note #1. Thanks for the Review.

Peter Kim - Impmon's going to be fun. I've always pictured him as having a good relationship with Takato, a strained one with Rika, Renamon, Henry, and Terriermon (Due to how much they used to beat him) and an awkward one with Jeri, for obvious reasons. I think at least some of the Tamers met Ai and Mako, but I have to recheck an episode that I don't have… damn wolf pack… they should sub it faster. Anyway, thanks for the review.

Kara – The sentence should be 'life after Parasimon.' Anyway, I'm not sure how long this story will last. Maybe until the Tamers find true love… maybe until one of them dies… I don't have a set goal in this at all. So it should be interesting.

AnT - Oy. Man my dialogue isn't all that good. It takes me an hour to figure out one line, thankfully I have a place I go to zone out and think. I call it work. Anyway, I prefer an Alice/Ryo couple, then again, I'm not sure I'll do that either.

Lastly, for Ryo. Please see Note #1. Thanks for the review.

Gogglehead – There will probably be Jurato in this and at the very least Ryuki friendship. As for solid couples… Meh, I haven't decided yet. And yes I am still working on Viral State.

OmnicromXR – Good to hear from ya again… except for the review bit. Well anyway. Thanks, most of the stuff you mentioned I fixed. I know there was at least one thing I disagreed with though. Anyway, even though I know I'm going to regret asking you this, I also know you're going to tell me anyway. How was this chapter, better? Worse? Is the dubitis persisting? I won't cover everything in your review since I already sent an E-Mail. See ya later.

Godai – Oy, good on ya for reading the notes. Thanks for the review. Bye

Newbi – Well, let's not forget Alice. Thanks for the review.


	3. Chapter 3

**No changes or anything. I seem to be completely unmotivated for Viral State... I dunno what it is. I'm not dropping it of course, but the next chapter seems to be a ways away yet.

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**After Thoughts – Chapter 3

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**

Ah school. While parents are often thankful for the system, most kids would describe it as a torture chamber where adults get paid for torturing them. Other children claim it violates the law, making children work at such a young age, and unpaid no less! So why were two of these kids, and two proportionally bizarre animals resembling a rabbit and a fox, at such a place when they didn't need to be? Two words: Digital Field.

"…Great…What are we doing here?" Rika demanded, glaring at the looming structure.

Henry shrugged. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well it's your school," Rika replied, frustrated.

"Right, like that that has anything to do with it," Henry replied smiling.

Terriermon patted his partner on the head. "Well, as much fun as it is to stand out here and look at the building, who's ready to try going inside?"

Renamon was looking upward. "Odd… I can see the sky. And the trees are blowing…"

"So?"

"Do you feel any wind?"

Henry shook his head. "Hmmm... This place… feels strange."

Rika nodded. "Glad I wasn't the only one who thought so." She glanced around the area with her eyes. And seeing no one else, she decided their next course of action. "Well, let's take a look around."

Henry nodded and started off in the way they were facing. After a few steps Henry quickly realized something else was wrong. When they entered the field they were facing away from the school and didn't take any steps, now that they were walking towards the school… hadn't they already left the field? The blue haired boy shifted his glance to Rika, who proceeded calmly ahead. She was oblivious, or perhaps, she just didn't see any point in devoting too much of her brain power to such a riddle.

As Henry studied his surroundings carefully, trying to recognize patterns in the rocks on the ground and abnormalities in the trees that lines the field, Rika wasn't wasting her time. The school seemed to be the area of focus, so whatever evil Digimon was waiting to get whooped must be in there. That, however, changed after a few more steps.

"Owww," someone behind the Tamers and their Digimon cried.

The sound had evidently come from another group of children, two of them probably aged six to seven years, and one who looked to be around Ryo's age. One kid, with bushy brown hair, a light salmon colored shirt, and most of his face planted into the ground, was gasping for air. The other kid had deep blue hair, in a mess from being roughed up. His lip was swollen and, and his yellow shirt ripped and dirtied. He was searching the ground looking for something. The last kid seemed to be beating up on the other two, the apparent bully, had black hair combed to one side and beady black eyes. He had chains hanging from his black slacks and it looked like at least on of his teeth had been knocked out.

"Didn't know people like that resided in this little neighborhood." Renamon commented, eyeing the scene in front of her curiously.

"Oo! Oo! Henry, can I take this one? It'll only last two seconds pleeease, can I, huh? Can I?"

The boy sighed. "I think It's better not to waste your energy. This is just some illusion. Who could possible be down here right now?"

"…" Rika took a step toward the squabble.

"Rika? What are you doing?"

"I'm saving up Renamon's energy." She replied bluntly. Renamon secretly smiled at her Tamer as she saw what was about to come next.

Henry, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed. "Rika, you know this has gotta be some kind of trick. These are all illusions. Geez, I thought I only had to deal with this with Takato. Besides, what are the odds that you can even actually inter-

**POW!**

"-act… with… them…"

"Wow… she sure showed you, didn't she?" Terriermon added with a giggle. Even Renamon was surprised at what just occured.

Rika had punched the bully…

…Well, that wasn't really the surprising part, not so much as the part where she actually connected with her hit. The boy in black was now kneeling over the ground holding his face where the redhead had hit him. The brown haired youth was staring back at her in awe, while the other one was still rummaging around for something, asking what happened. He must have bad eyesight.

"Whoa…" The infant exhaled, ignoring the bits of dirt that fell out of his hair. "Strong."

Rika turned around and crouched down as Henry and Renamon made their way over. She brushed some more rocks and crud out of boy's hair. She even licked her thumb and tried to get some of the dirt of his cheeks, although it didn't help. Something about a boy's anatomy seemed to make dirt like glue to them. Henry and Terriermon exchanged glances at that.

"Rika…" Henry grinned. "You look like a loving older sister… And you said you were bad with kids."

Rika felt a bit of embarrassment at herself, although she hid it well. Smiling, she replied. "Well, it helps when they're not crying."

She reached out again to try and clean the brunette up, but instead he stood up quickly before she even touched him. Shoving a hand in his pocket he wove around the girl and made his way to the darker haired child.

"U-umm. Hey buddy. I… saved your glasses." The boy pulled a pair of specs that had been utterly crushed. "Or at least… I thought I did."

The other took what was left of them in his hand. Tears had started to well up in his eyes as he burst out crying. "…Great. Now what am I supposed to do" The kid sobbed

"U-ummm. Try not to worry." The dirt covered kid tried to comfort his friend without success. Instead he just hugged his legs together. "…Sorry."

Rika couldn't just stand there and watch that. She had to do something about it. Turning, she quickly advanced on the one she had nearly knocked out.

"Hey, get up. You owe these two the apology of your life."

The punk kid got up with his first clenched. It looked like his lip was bleeding. "Yeah right. Eat this!"

Spinning around quickly he tossed a fistful of sand into Rika's eyes. Suddenly she wished she had her sunglasses on like Henry. But Rika wasn't the target of the dark twelve year olds anger, instead, he dashed straight for the weeping youth and pinned him to the ground with one hand. Henry and Renamon dashed to the rescue, while Terriermon jumped ahead, but none of them looked like they were going to be fast enough. The brunette just sat there, stunned and afraid to move.

The punk drew back… only to have another six year old, a fourth illusion jump on his back and start beating him in the head with his fists. As you might imagine, this didn't hurt very much, but it did take the kid's attention away from his intended target. The bully grabbed the child on his shoulder and threw him off onto the dirt.

The fourth illusion had brown hair a shade darker than the brunette's. Like his attacker, he wore black slacks; however he also wore a white shirt with some heavy metal band's symbol on it.

"Why you little…"

By now, Henry and Renamon were moving full swing. Renamon zipped around the disgruntled youth and caught his punch with a single hand… then squeezed. As the boy drew back his other hand, Henry grabbed it and twisted it behind his back while wrapping his other hand around his neck. Then he stomped on the back of his knee to force him in a kneeling position. For a moment, it looked like the punk was going to try and spit on Renamon. Her glare intensified accordingly as her free hand balled into a first.

"By all means, give me a reason."

Rika glanced at Henry, still rubbing sand out of her eye. "…Mind teaching me how to do that?"

"Sure, come to one of my sensei's classes one of these days. I'll let you know when they are later."

"Ha! Serves ya right." The fourth illusion yelled out. "Picking on someone smaller than you? Tch, not even I'm that desperate for attention."

Terriermon hopped onto the cocky kid's head. "Could've fooled me the way you jumped on him. Or were you just doing a play of David and Goliath?"

"Who and what?"

Henry smiled in spite of the situation while Rika walked up to the six years olds. A wave of nostalgia came over her as she became fixated on them. "…"

"What? If you're looking for someone to play tea party with, I'm not interested."

"Kazu, be quiet." The other brunette interrupted his acquaintance as all eyes locked onto him. "You're going to be in trouble if you keep talking to her like that."

Kazu folded his arms behind his head. "Like I'm afraid of some girl. Besides, how do you know my name? I never told you or the crybaby there."

"He is not a crybaby!" The boy called back, angered that this know-it-all had just insulted a close friend. "You take that back."

"Make me!" The heavy metal fan replied confidently, advancing towards the other. It looked like he was ready to start another fight.

In the background, Henry and Renamon walked up beside Rika and watched intently. "Where did the kid you were holding go."

Henry placed his hand on his chin. "He took a page from Renamon's book and disappeared."

Renamon narrowed her eyes at the kids "Shouldn't we do something?" She asked.

"Actually I'd rather you didn't." Henry stated. "Something's definitely not right hear and I have a feeling we can learn more by observing."

Well, Kazu said 'make me', and 'make him' the other did. He tackled Kazu and wrestled him to the ground. Make no mistake, they both got a few good licks in. For a moment it even seemed like Kazu had won as he pushed the other off of him and got up to walk away.

"Take… it… back!" The injured boy shouted as he got up once more and slammed into the taller of the two only to get shoved off again.

"T-Takato stop it." The blue haired boy yelled. As Rika refocused her gaze on him, a thought occurred to her. "Stop it, please! Why are you fighting! "

_No way! These kids… Takato, Kazu, and Kenta. What the hell is going on here?_

Kenta finally got to his feet. He couldn't see well, but he could hear fine. The semi-blind child got up and ran towards the other two, trying to break them up. Unfortunately he tripped on a rock halfway and fell flat on his face making a comically loud 'pat' sound. Takato and Kazu just stared at him, surprised, as more tears readied themselves in Kenta's eyes.

"_Now_ can we do something?" The green rabbit asked.

"Shush, Terriermon."

"How 'bout now?"

"In a second."

"…Heh… heh heh…" Takato started to laugh despite his valiant attempts to hold it in. "…hee hee, ha ha ha HA HA HA"

Kazu was trying to choke out words between his own giggle fits. "Ha ha ha. Dude, that was awesome. -Heh- Do it again. Ha ha ha."

"You guys are the worst." Kenta moaned. "Both of you."

The two boys, who just seconds ago had been at each other's throats, began unraveling themselves and approached Kenta, each placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What's your name kid?" Kazu asked.

"K-kenta." The boy responded back timidly.

Kazu smiled. "Well Kenta, I'm Kazu. Wanna be friends?"

Henry smiled. Only such young kids could be _that_ direct about those kinds of things. Next, Kazu looked over to the other brunette.

"And you're Takato right?"

"I don't know! You keep hitting me in the head!" He joked.

The pre-visor boy rubbed his neck. "You're a heck of a lot tougher than I gave you credit for. Friends?"

"Friends!"

Takato and Kazu each took one of Kenta's arms as they began guiding the boy to the school. Henry and Rika exchanged glances.

"I'm not sure if that was sweet or barbaric." Henry mused.

"Well don't look at me. I gave up trying to understand you guys a while ago."

Henry nodded before turning his gaze back towards the field. The children had disappeared, probably faded out like the bully Henry had in an arm hold. "What a weird place… Did we really just see that?"

"I think the question here is did it actually happen." Renamon stated

"…Well, standing around here won't help us figure it out. Let's keep going."

* * *

Kazu lifted his hand, preparing to knock on Mrs. Ayaka's mom's door, then hesitated. It was slightly embarrassing but the boy had already forgotten the woman's name. He'd have to work on that. However the real reason for his embarrassment had more to do with the auburn haired girl standing next to him.

"You know, you don't have to hold my hand on this one. I'm pretty sure I can handle a little thing like eating dinner."

"Actually I'm not here for that." Jeri replied taking another look at Kazu to make sure everything was in order.

The boy was dressed in some old black jeans that she had spot washed along with a snappy brand name blue shirt. It was supposed to be tucked in to make Kazu look sort of smart-casual, but the visor boy kept pulling it out again. And speaking of the visor, Jeri quickly pulled that thing off his head letting his chestnut hair fall partially over one eye.

"Hey, what gives?"

"Perfect." The girl smiled. "You actually clean up pretty well."

As Kazu tried to snatch the headwear back, Jeri quickly put her hand behind her back. "Come on! Cough it up."

Jeri continued to smile and weave around her friend, at least until the boy grabbed her sock puppet and began holding it hostage. "Hey, that's not fair!" The girl pouted.

"All's fair in love and war."

With the situation reversed Jeri kept diving at Kazu while the boy dodged her pretty easily. What he forgot, though, is to mind the railing. During one of Jeri's lunges he backed up too quickly and with too much force. He fell over the metal edge and into one of the bushes that lined the houses of this street, dropping Jeri's puppet as he did so. So much for staying clean.

As the brown haired girl leaned over to pick up her puppet, Ayaka opened the door just in time to see Kazu waddle out of the bushes. She was a little surprised at his appearance. If it weren't for the jagged branch jutting out from his hair he might actually look cute. "…Kazu… Are you trying to embarrass me?"

The boy smirked immediately feeling the need to get under Ayaka's skin once more. "Well I wasn't really trying before, but for you, I'm willing to make an exception."

"I'm sure." The girl replied venomously. She quickly redirected her eyes to the sock puppet girl. "Thanks for coming Jeri. Glad to know there's at least one person I can count on."

Kazu arched a brow confused. "Huh, Jeri? Wait, if you were already invited, why didn't you mention that earlier?"

Jeri shrugged. "You didn't ask silly. Now come on, I bet Mrs. Tamachi is getting impatient."

Before Kazu could press the subject further, the two girls entered the housing, giggling together about the days events. Frowning, the boy tossed the branch out of hair and entered in after them.

"If I had known dinner was going to be this much trouble, I'd have just gone to McDonald's."

Well things may not have been going perfectly for Kazu, but the Tamers in the digital field were having a much more interesting time. Ghost-like sights lurked around just about every corner of the school. So far, though, the images only lasted a few seconds and merely featured the kids playing, talking, or something equally mundane. There weren't any others like the brawl outside.

As the group passed by another classroom, Rika became aware of a group of kids inside working on some kind of arts and crafts project. She couldn't tell what exactly, but it involved fabric. She quickly backtracked to take another look inside, but the illusion had already vanished.

"See something?" Henry asked.

Rika nodded. "Yeah… some kind of art project. I wish I knew why we were seeing these things."

"Maybe we're stuck inside someone's head, doomed to wander aimlessly without any hope of escape." Terriermon offered.

"Thanks for that, Rabbitmon."

"Momentai."

"Ahh, Kazu" A voice from behind the Tamers whined. Henry and Rika turned to see the future Mega Tamer being supported by his friend. Takato was a few feet ahead glaring back at the one who had his name called.

"Quit whining, it doesn't hurt." Was Kazu's response. He was now wearing a visor and looked a little taller, even if his clothes were pretty much the same.

"Easy for-"

"Yes it does!" Takato called out getting their attention. "Of course getting hit hurts. Not that you'd care."

Kazu blinked. "Eh?"

"You keep acting without thinking. Kenta almost got really hurt today. And I'm sure my parents are going to be thrilled that I'm going to see the principle for the third time in just two weeks."

"Well… what do you want me to do about it?" Kazu called back absentminded. He wasn't taking this very seriously.

"Stop starting fights with people!" The young goggle boy ordered.

"Pfft. I don't start them, I finish them." The six-year-old responded, showing no sign that he was interested in changing.

It was a poor choice of words. Takato stopped walking forward and turned back glaring harshly. It wasn't what Kazu said so much as the reasoning behind it that got the boy riled up. He was willing to totally disregard his friends' well being simply for his own selfish reasons. Kazu, upon seeing his friend's reaction, immediately let go of Kenta and raised his fists. He wasn't backing down, that was as bad as or even worse than losing as far as he was concerned.

"Why do you always have to 'finish' them.? Can't you just leave it alone."

"Sure I can. I can do whatever I want. I just don't want too."

Takato frowned angrily as Henry and Rika with-held from intervening. "That's it Kazu, you're no longer my frie-eennn…"

Now you're probably wondering why the boy stopped in mid-word. The answer, he became distracted by a young girl looking even more miserable than his entire group put together. She had sad red eyes, as if she had been crying for hours. She sniffed as she passed by, not even acknowledging the boys were there. Somehow, just one look at her caused the boy to lose all the anger he had accumulated at Kazu. Even as she disappeared around the corner, towards the exit, Takato's eyes remained fixed on where she had been.

Takato blinked couple times. "Uhh… who was that?"

"Hey, don't try and get out of our argument."

"That was Jeri I think, her mom passed away a couple days ago." Kenta explained.

After waiting a few seconds of silence. Takato started to go after her. Kenta and Kazu exchanged glances. "Hey Taka-to. Where ya going?"

"I'm going to try and cheer her up."

"Dude, we still have to go to the principle."

"Tell him I had to go to the washroom, and that I'll be a little late." Takato called back as he went around the bend.

"Hey wait," Kazu started after Takato. "Like I'm going to let you ditch detention without me. Kenta, you coming?"

"W-what? No way, we'll get in trouble."

Kazu nodded. "Alright, see ya later then chicken."

"I am not a chicken!" Kenta shouted. Kazu, however, had already disappeared from view. The blue haired boy procrastinated a bit before following. He didn't want to be left out. "Mmmm… Why do I let him talk me into these things?"

Henry looked over to Rika as soon as they were more or less alone again. "Well that was interesting. What do you think? Their first big fight?"

Rika shook her head. "I doubt it. I think this was their first meeting with Jeri."

"If that's the case then it looks like the memory isn't over yet." Renamon stated. Glancing outside through a nearby window she could easily see the boys take up positions behind a tree as they spied on the depressed youth, who took no notice of them.

Henry nodded in agreement as group stalked after the young ones. When they caught up with them, they were still hiding behind the tree whispering to each other, and not doing a very good job of it either. Jeri was about a stone's throw away, holding her knees in and sobbing into her dress. Henry and Rika waited a bit for the kids to make a move, but it seems none of them had the courage to actually approach the girl.

"Hey! What are you guys doing over there, watching grass grow?" Terriermon yelled out. He wasn't quite as patient as his Tamer.

"Shhh!"

"Oh come on. If you think you're hiding you might try putting a little more effort into it."

"Terriermon. Rudeness, remember."

The little green bunny dog folded his arms. "What? Someone's got to tell them."

"Dude, the little green runt is right." Kazu exclaimed. "We need a better spot."

"We can't leave school grounds though." Kenta added.

"Hmmm." Takato placed his chin in his hand. "I wonder… You know we could probably climb this tree guys."

The three agreed on that plan. Although the first couple attempts at climbing ended with the boys flat on their back as if they were making dirt angels. Then Kazu had a brilliant idea that involved using his other two friends as a step ladder. Once he was in the tree he pulled Takato up, and then the two of them together aided Kenta. Rika wasted no time in following after them.

"What are you doing?"

Rika grunted as she hoisted herself onto a halfway branch. "I want to hear what they say."

Henry sighed then began following his friend. Renamon made things easier for both of them as she phased to the top of the tree. Once all five humans and two Digimon were up, the heavy metal fan flashed Rika a thumbs up.

"You did that pretty quick… for a girl."

"You might wanna watch that 'for a girl' stuff."

"Scary…" Takato murmured, earning a chuckle out of the Chinese Tamer.

"You have no idea… Is Jeri still upset?"

Takato nodded as he began speaking in a soft voice, so as to avoid any unwanted attention from the girl beneath them. "Yeah. I wish I could think of something to say to her, but every time I get an idea it turns out to be a stupid one."

"How do you know it's stupid?" Rika asked.

"I think about it a little more." The future gogglehead stated matter-of-factly.

"You don't give yourself enough credit. Just say what you feel." The red headed girl reprimanded him.

"And don't touch her or you'll get cooties." Kazu added resting his head on a branch and ignoring the fact that everyone was now looking at him. "What? I had a cousin who died from cooties."

"…"

"It's a fatal disease… My dad told me." The boy explained in all seriousness. For once it looked like he really wasn't joking.

Takato sighed as he inched along his own branch to get a better view of the brown haired girl. "You guys make it sound easier than it is. I mean, I don't know if I can even approach her."

Suddenly a few ripping sounds were heard. No it was not the sound of a wild Digimon's special attack, but rather, it was the sound of wood ripping apart. Specifically, it was the branch that Takato had foolishly shuffled to the end of. As you can imagine this was immediately followed by yell and a thump. All the children, Jeri included looked over to see if he was hurt. Although for the girl, she just had to turn her head as Takato had landed inches away from her.

"U-umm… Are y-you dead?" Switching to a kneeling position, Jeri poked Takato a few times in the head without a response.

"…Ooooooooooow. My head landed on a rock!" The chocolate haired boy yelled in a voice so loud that even Kenta would be put to shame. He was also using every once of strength he had in his whole body to resist the urge to cry and look like a baby in front of Kazu.

"Nice one dude. See, approaching her isn't that hard. Keep it up."

Takato mumbled a few unpleasant words about how mean Kazu was under his breath before Jeri took the bulk of his attention once again. Rika's advice from seconds ago rang in his head. Just tell her how he was feeling… how hard could that be?

"U-Ummm. Hi there. You're probably wondering why I was spying on you..."

"…" Jeri just stared at him, her eyes as big as dinner plates.

"…Well you see. Me and my friends Kazu and Kenta saw you looking sad so we-

"-Are you a zombie?"

"Huh?" The boy did a double take. Somehow of all the millions of possible things he suspected she might say, this was nowhere close to anyone of them. "Okay… No, I'm not a zombie. I'm a Takato."

"Oh…" Jeri replied, the momentary burst of life that filled her a moment ago now ebbing away once more.

"Why… did you want me to be a zombie?" Takato asked, up righting himself into a sitting position.

"Zombie's… are people that came back from the dead, right? But all the adults say it's impossible." The girl sulked. "I thought, that maybe if you could be a zombie, then my mom could too… and she could come home with me."

Takato rolled his eyes to the top of his head as he recalled what he knew about creatures of the undead. "But usually zombies are horrible things. Their skin is all rotting and they have their eyes hanging out of their sockets, and all they want to do is eat people's brains."

When he glanced down at Jeri, and saw how horrified she looked he quickly tried to leave things on a lighter note.

"Uh, b-but angels are nice. They live in the clouds and can bring people back from the dead like new."

The girl sniffled. "Are you an angel?"

"Me, no… I'm still just a Takato."

Jeri began to cry once more. The boy reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, but then stopped at the last moment. Not because of what Kazu said about cooties, but because he realized how completely useless it was. Nothing would make Jeri's mother come back, no matter how much anyone wished it so. Instead he reached into his pocket and took out a large piece of cloth. Henry and Rika both leaned in as they recognized it as Jeri's socket puppet.

"Umm… Woof woof. Try not to be sad Jeri. 'cause umm…" Takato looked up. "A little help guys?"

Kazu nodded, shoving himself off his branch and landing hard in the dirt. "Don't be sad because…"

The visor boy glanced at the ground and kicked a rock away as he tried to think of a reason. He was hardly speaking from his heart. It sounded the same way it did when he was making an excuse for the teacher as to why he didn't do his homework. He just wasn't the type that could pour his heart out so easily, but none the less, he was trying.

"...you're making Kenta cry." He finished, happy with the reason he found.

"I am not. I just had something in my eye."

Takato sighed. "Because you're, woof, making Kenta sad… and I'm sure others too."

Jeri wiped her eyes and gazed up. "Does that mean you too?" She asked.

"Me, well…" The boy paused, giving Jeri an empathetic stare. "…yeah…"

Jeri looked into her lap. This wasn't fair. She was the one that lost her mother. So why was she the one that felt guilty now? Takato and the others wouldn't have been able to understand either. They were too young. Forcing herself to look up at the sock puppet once more she pressed a finger on its tiny nose. At that second, she was trying hard not to remember her mother. To push it all away and bury it so the people around her wouldn't be sad. The dog-like thing seemed to help in terms of a distraction.

"What's its name?"

"Huh? Oh it's… I haven't given it a name yet, actually." That was a lie. Takato named everything he got, made, or didn't know the real name of as a way of separating it from everything else like it, right up to Guilmon and beyond. "Umm, you can name him if you want."

Takato pulled the cloth off his hand and handed it to the girl in front of him. She took it hesitantly, not knowing what to do next. "I-I can keep him too?"

"Sure. I'm making another one in art class anyway." Takato explained, hiding the fact that the one he was making looked like a rats nest compared to the store-bought one he just gave away. "This way, you'll have someone to keep you company."

"You do realize it's just a puppet, right?" Kazu said, double checking to make sure his friend hadn't lost his mind. Takato ignored him.

"…And I know just what to call you too." Jeri mumbled to herself while putting the item on. Because of her small size, it took up her entire forearm. "Ruff… it's cute. Thanks Takato."

The future Tamer started blushing as he fumbled around for words. "Ah, umm. I-it's nothing, really."

Kazu waltzed up beside him and Kenta finally hopped out of the tree. "Well, Jeri right? It's been fun meeting you and all, but if we don't go now I think our teacher may figure out where we are. And that would not be good."

"Especially since we're in plain view of our classroom." Kenta added

"Ms. Asagi?" The girl asked.

"Umm, no. We're in the classroom to the right of that with Mr. Maury."

"See you later."

The kids waved as they ran back the way they came. Once they were out of sight, Jeri pushed herself back to her feet as well and patted as much of the dirt out of the back of her little blue dress as she could. Reluctantly, she started walking toward the school also. It was time for her to head back after all.

Back in the tree, Henry shook his head while Renamon kept the bunny distracted with a rock paper scissors fight. "So… She never got that initial sadness out of her system."

"I can't imagine losing Leomon helped."

Henry nodded. "No wonder the D-Reaper wanted her. She was the perfect target."

"…You think the gogglehead should have just left her alone?" Rika asked. From the fact that no one was able to answer immediately she guessed it was hard to tell.

Henry could only look at the ground as he pondered the question. Realizing there was no way he could possibly put himself in Jeri's shoes, he began to think about what he wanted whenever he felt alone or abandoned. He didn't have any friends before Takato though, he was used to being on his own. But at the very least, he always had his family.

"I think… knowing someone's worried about you is just as important as getting the sadness out of your system. Even if he went about it the wrong way, I'm glad he followed Jeri."

"He just had run off to play the hero." Rika remarked half smiling. She was trying to avoid both being rude and getting touchy-feely about this.

Henry shrugged. "I don't know about that… I think it's more just how he is. I remember another time he did something like this, ignored what he should've done because he couldn't leave someone alone."

"When was this?" Rika asked, although the smile spreading across her friend's lips told her she had something to do with it.

"The Ark. Takato was the only one who wouldn't get in because you weren't there."

The red head scoffed. "He should have more faith."

"Faith had nothing to do with it. He was scared you might get left behind. And… So was I." Henry blushed faintly but didn't shy away. Even though what he just said was true, it sounded different when he heard it out loud.

"..." Rika paused, unsure of how to respond to that except to mutter a quick 'thanks'

"Anyway, let's go. That should be enough for today."

About ten feet above where the two Tamers were, and twenty meters northwest, things were not so… easygoing. Why? Simple, because Jeri was on a mission to make sure Kazu was as well behaved as he could possibly be which worked in direct contrast with the boy's 'I'm just here for the free food' attitude.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Mrs. Tamachi asked, noticing that the boy had barely touched anything on his plate.

Kazu quickly picked up his fork like it was a cattle prong. "Yes Ma'am, er I mean no ma'am. Uh, it' great, I'm just afraid Yaka's going to kick me in the shin again. –UMPH-" As soon as Kazu spoke it, the girl did just that, and doubly hard to for purposely messing up on her name.

It seemed the boy's fellow students had set up the seating arrangement like that purposefully. To make matters worse, on the off chance Ayaka missed Kazu, Jeri had pulled up a seat directly beside him and borrowed an extra fork to jab him with. At least Jeri's prods were more forgiving. After all, unlike her friend, she wasn't actually trying to hurt the boy.

Glancing over, the Virus Tamer took a quick look at the girl's dad who had remained oddly silent throughout dinner. He was in good shape, even for his age, with black eyes, black hair and a chiseled jaw kinda like Kazu's own dad. The creepiest part though, was that even when he was eating he didn't take his eyes off Kazu.

_Well, that's helpful. Maybe I should be more worried about **him** kicking me…_

Brushing all other thoughts aside, he started his feast. Yuri's cooking, who by the way, he still couldn't remember the name of and wouldn't until the copper haired girl told him, was really good. He demolished the main plate in about five minutes, catching up to everyone else then moved onto the noodles. Now if only Jeri would stop jabbing him in the ribs with her fork he could really enjoy this.

"Feel like coming up for air anytime soon or should I dump you off at the nearest aquarium?"

"Ayaka!" Her mother scolded. Jeri hid her giggle with one hand at the boy's behavior.

"Yeah Yaka –UMPH-"

_I think that last one may have started to bleed… Oh well, I'll take a look after I'm done with the noodles._

Well that wasn't about to happen. Once again trying for the noodles, he was stopped by Jeri's fork after only inhaling a few.

"Try not to slurp."

"I am trying, it's impossible." Kazu retorted quietly.

Ayaka narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't look like you're trying very hard."

_For the love of… Never have I wanted to be attacked by a Myotismon sooo much._

Kazu focused on the noodles single-mindedly. The sooner he was done, the sooner he could leave. Sadly, more interruptions awaited the boy, but at least these weren't as… irritating as the ones before.

"So Kazu, how long have you known my little girl?" The father finally spoke.

The Digimon fan shrugged. "We've known about each other for a while. She always rats me out to the teacher and I put slugs in her shoes or something."

The man nodded. "…Weren't you the one that started that food fight a few months ago?"

_How could I forget? I nearly got expelled for that one._

"Technically the guy who called me idiot started it. I just stood up for myself and the next thing I knew… I was dodging potatoes like hockey pucks." Kazu grinned, then stopped when he noticed Ayaka's father didn't share his sense of humor.

"…"

As Kazu started to wonder if he could actually hear a pin drop at that moment, Yuri attempted to shed a more positive light on the boy. "So, do you have any plans for the future?"

Kazu was startled at the question. It was definitely the first time someone had asked him that before. "Uh… Well, I thought I might end up being a soccer player or something since I'm pretty good at sports. I'm even the most athletic guy in my class."

"Have you joined any track and field clubs?"

"Eh? Well I've thought about it, but it sounds like a lot of hassle." Kazu replied, earning another hard glance from the older man.

Jeri quickly added. "Plus, his schedule is pretty hectic with the number of Bio-emergences increasing lately."

"Yeah. Even just yesterday, this weird Digital Field showed up under the city. By the way, that's where the Flymon came from."

Now this seemed to get the older man's attention. "Is it dangerous?"

"Yeah, I guess. Although with all the Tamers around the odds of someone getting seriously hurt are lower than me getting an A in science class."

"…" While still staring hard, Ayaka's father had lost some of the tension he had previously accumulated.

"Renamon, Rika's Digimon, can phase into view anywhere. And, like all Digimon, she can sense when others are nearby, so not much happens without her knowing about it. Then you have Ryo who's a tactical genius. His Digimon can also attain the highest form a Digimon can have, Mega. So he's pretty tough."

Ayaka tilted her head. "Ryo… isn't that the one who keeps disappearing?"

"Yep. And there's also Henry and Takato, two more powerhouses. Beelzemon's strong too, but he's usually with his Tamers. And that only leaves me and Kenta. Kenta has a Mega too but it's not really a fighter. It mostly makes barriers and heals other Digimon."

"I remember that little thing. It's sooo cute." Ayaka cooed at the memory of the tiny pink angel.

_Hmph. It's not **that** great._

Jeri giggled. "I'll have to show you Calumon one day."

"So Kazu, do you know what you plan to do when you graduate?" Yuri asked, redirecting the conversation once again.

"Graduate? Heh, not if Ms. Asagi has any-AAGH"

In the blink of an eye Jeri 'accidentally' tipped her bowl of piping hot soup sideways allowing some of it to spill onto her olive green dress and a noticeably larger amount to spill onto Kazu. In a typical knee-jerk reaction he pushed away from the table and stood up, Jeri right along side him.

"Aghhh- That smarts." He muttered angrily. The fact that it was a harmless accident was being clouded over by the scalding burning sensation that had just started to subside.

"Sorry. Pardon me Mrs. Tamachi, but is there a spot where we can clean ourselves up?"

"There's a bathroom down the hall and to the right. Towels and clothes are in the closet next to it." The woman responded motioning in the direction with her hands.

"Thank you." Jeri replied, grabbing Kazu's hand and pulling him away the table.

As the two departed from the table Ayaka muttered a silent thank you to Jeri while her mother and father traded glances.

The man finally cracked a smile. "I like him. You have my blessing to go out with him."

"Go out with him? …Kazu? Ewww, Daaad." Ayaka protested.

"He's a little lacking on the manners side." The girl's mother continued, ignoring her daughter's statement. "But nowadays that seems to be getting more and more common. He still seems like a nice boy."

"This isn't a date." Ayaka protested.

Her father nodded. "Of course not. We're just saying that now, if you want to date him, we'd have no objections."

"Kill me now." The girl pleaded as she clutched her head. Just the thought of going out with Kazu was making her want to shower.

"Of course you'd still have a curfew."

"I told you, I don't like that kid. Not even slightly."

Just down the hallway, Kazu grinned at those words. He, for one, was glad Yaka, er Ayaka didn't like him. He was an eleven year old boy, and as far as most eleven year old boys were concerned, girls were gross. Actually it was more the mushy, kissy, poetry reading garbage that he didn't like than the actual girls. Jeri was alright, and Rika was cool, although he'd never admit it out loud.

Not only that of course. But things were simpler this way. Ayaka didn't like Kazu, and that feeling was shared on a mutual level. Having to tell someone who actually did like you to bug off, now that was hard. Even for someone as crass as the infamous visor boy.

"Kazu, hurry or else it'll stain." Jeri ordered, getting a blank stare from her friend. "Honestly, you boys are so hopeless."

Taking a damp cloth the brown haired girl grabbed Kazu by the shirt, pulled it away from his skin, and began to delicately blot up the soup, leaving Kazu to stand their helplessly. Neither of them realized it, but the boy was actually blushing.

"I can do this on my own, you know. It's not like I'm a four year old." The boy grunted, filled with a mix of annoyance at his treatment and embarrassment.

"That's alright, I'm almost done. I just have to do the…" Jeri paused, now it was her turn to blush as she realized where the soup had landed on his jeans. Granted, black absorbs almost anything, but if the pattern of his shirt was any indication. "Oops, sorry. It might be better if you did that after all." She giggled to herself as she handed the cloth off to the boy and replaced it with a cotton sock puppet instead.

Kazu's blush deepened against his will as he finished cleaning himself off. Jeri had turned the other way to give him a fair degree of privacy. "Umm, yeah. Thanks for that."

"No problem. Anything to help."

Kazu half smirked. "Well I wasn't gonna bring it up, but if you really wanna help I could use the answers to today's homework assignment."

Jeri giggled. "Nice try silly. You should've done it earlier. Now let's head back, it's getting late we should probably start to head back."

"Alright, alright." Kazu nodded, waltzing backing into the dining room. "Thanks for the dinner, it was excellent."

"You're leaving already?"

The boy nodded. "I still have homework to try and complete. I won't finish it, but still gotta try, right?"

"It was a pleasure to have you over. We'll have to do it again sometime."

Kazu nodded and started to walk away when Jeri blocked his path and bowed, indicating for him to do the same. He did. And at the doorway, she waited for him to help her with her jacket. Kazu, while silently hating every second of this 'manners' thing, still had enough sense to try and remember some of this stuff. Besides, every time Jeri smiled she seemed to clear out all negative feelings… It was something else Kazu made a note of.

"See ya tomorrow Yaka."

"Hmph. Lucky me" She replied sarcastically.

Jeri giggled again as she stepped down the stairs. "Honestly. You too fight worse than Rika and Ryo."

Kazu ignored that comment and Ayaka stepped back inside the house. "Can I get my visor back now? It feels weird without it."

"Oh right, I knew there had to be a reason you were following me." Jeri took out the visor which had apparently been scrunched into one of the pockets of her jacket and placed it lopsided on the boy's head.

"Following you? Why would you say that?" Kazu asked, pulling the headpiece on properly.

Jeri pointed down the street. "Because your house is down there."

"Good point."

"See you tomorrow!" Jeri stated as she waved skittered down the street. The visor boy glanced momentarily at his house. It was just barely visible. Things weren't dark yet, but the sun had finished setting. Fog was rolling in from all directions.

"Hey Jer, wait up." Kazu hollered.

"Did I forget something?" The girl asked, turning around.

The lighter brunette shook his head. "Naw. Just thought I'd walk you home. The Digital Field is still around you know."

"Why Kazu, are you trying to get credit again?"

"Nope, just figured you could use the company. Then again, if you don't I could just-"

Jeri giggled again, breaking through the boy's sentence. "Kazu, you're so silly."

"…?"

"It's nothing..." Jeri quickly ran up to her friend and hooked his arm with hers smiling as wide as possible. "…let's go."

"I can't believe Henry isn't back yet… I wonder if they're alright." Takato said, pulling his shoes on. It was getting late and time to head of. Ryo and Kenta were next to his doing the same thing.

Ryo slung his backpack over his shoulder still smiling at his twenty somethingth win over the gogglehead. "You worry too much Takato."

"I can't help it."

"I noticed. But remember he's with Rika."

"…Great, now I'm worried about Rika."

The legendary Tamer chuckled to himself. Takato was definitely one in a million, and although he raised a good point about Henry not being home, his confidence in Rika would not allow him to believe they were captured, or at least not yet. Besides, with Terriermon around, getting sidetracked wasn't entirely uncommon either.

"How about this. I'll call back here later tonight. If they're still missing, I'll give you a call and we can go look for them."

"Can I come too?" Kenta asked. Ryo nodded.

Takato shifted as he put on his shoes. He wanted to make sure Henry and Rika were alright now… but Ryo did have a good point. "Alright. Then I guess I'll see you later."

"Yep. And maybe over the weekend too."

Takato arched a brow. "Pardon?"

"There's a tag team card tournament coming up. I was wondering if either you or Henry wanted to be my partner. Unfortunately Henry left before I could ask him."

Takato tilted his head. Ryo was asking _him_ of all the other logical choices…? "What about Rika?"

Ryo shook his head, still smiling. "To quote her exactly. 'It'll be too easy if we're on the same side Akiyama. Besides, this way I get to wipe that smirk off your face.' …Cute huh?"

Takato sighed. "You two are nuts. But in response to your question, sure. I've never been in a tournament before. It sounds like a lot of fun."

Ryo's smile widened a bit. "If you think its fun to be at a tournament, wait until you feel what it's like to win one."

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Well what do you think? I'm trying for too chapters in a row that don't suck. It's kinda weird, thought. Even though the idea was to develop Kazu and Ayaka's relationship a bit, I ended up focusing more of Kazu and Jeri.

As for the card tournament at the end. I thought it might be a good opportunity for character development. Thus I'm making the pairings for that a little more interesting than basic love couplings. They aren't terribly advanced, but I'm not giving it away

As for the Digital Field. I have no idea why I did that either. I know I wanted something a little more interesting than just slugging the crap out of more Digimon, then I got to wondering how Kazu and Takato would've met. In the series, Kazu and Kenta are depicted as a pair and Takato gets signaled out from them when he becomes a Tamer. But when you think about it Kazu and Takato have some rather noticeable differences in their personalities.

I also figured I would do something like that with Jeri, since Takato seemed to have liked her for a while before season three took place.

Honestly. I'm not to happy with the beginning of this chapter. I don't know what it is but it feels off and I can't figure out how to fix it. The best parts, in my own opinion, are the parts with Kazu and Jeri in it. Hopefully the next one will be better.

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**Reviews:**

Anime Obsessed Fan – The Digital Field isn't really important yet. I still don't know what's it's purpose is. The characters are supposed to be the real focus. Heh, yeah I'm sort of setting up for some things with Ms. Asagi, Ayaka, and… hmm, I think that's all I've done so far. I have a bunch of idea for some other minor character stuff though too.

And yes. Glad someone noticed the reference to Digimorphs three. That story rules. And yeah, Kazu's severely underated…I don't usually like headstrong characters, like Naruto just irritates the hell out of me. But sometimes it can be done pretty well. Like this Kazu, or my personal favorite, Laharl.

And I still don't know what I'm doing for couples… The Kazu/Jeri bit was unintended. whatever works I guess.

Newbi – Well not quite. It's a fate worse than D-Reaper, or at least according to someone like Kazu. As for Ryo, well things can change pretty quickly. I know it's happened a couple times where I've gone from happy to pissed in under two seconds.

Question Deca – Well the school is a kinda of battle zone… plus they destroyed some Rookie there one time. Anyway, thanks for the review.

OmnicromXR – Woohoo! Thanks for the review. Hopefully this chapter will be good too since I'm trying to do two chapter that don't suck in a row. And yeah I forgot how quickly Japan has progressed so thanks for pointing that out.

No empty white space or terrifying voids or anything. I tried to go with something with a little more substance. Well, see ya.

Bloody Kitsune – Heh. Naw Ryo's to cool to get annoyed over a little thing such as mistaken identity... Well, maybe a little. Or at least that's my perception of him. Anyway, thanks for the reviewed.

Lord Destroyer – Duely noted. But I'm not exactly trying for solid couples, just trying to keep everyone in character. Although if you're worried there will be no Ryo/Alice, or Takato/Rika moments I can assure you there'll be a few of them the same as there with be a few Jurato and Ryuki… somewhere…

And yeah, even if Ryo isn't the strongest Tamer he's still one of the most prominent, so it makes sense that would inevitably become a good friend of Takato. Sadly not enough fics seem to do this. Anyway, thanks for the review.

2nd Review – Your more than likely right. English is not my forte so… yeah.

Lxlriotgirlx – Hey a Jurato fan. Always nice to see new people. I hope ya like the chapter, see ya.

Gogglehead – Right now I'm going by how the series was pretty much. (Ryo's already developed a bit more of a friendship with Takato) So yeah… I'm not sure how things will end but at the moment, Takato likes Jeri, Rika is thinking about Takato, Ryo is interested in Rika, and as for Jeri. I have no idea. I know she turned down Takato earlier in the series (even though the boy was actually talking about something else), the real question I need to figure out is did Jeri's feelings change during the D-Reaper, or was she just latching onto her hero for the moment. Thanks for the review.

Peter Kim – Ah, that'd be one of the bigger challenges I'll have to overcome. The younger Tamers don't exactly fit in with the rest of the group, so it'd be pretty hard to fit them in. But I'll figure something out. Thank for the review.


	4. Chapter 4

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**After Thoughts – Chapter 4

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It was the third day since that strange Digital Field appeared. Takato awoke tiredly to the sound of a few yapping crows amidst the still golden sky. His alarm clock had only succeeded in knocking him back to an earlier stage of sleep. He checked it as best he could given his vision was still blurred. 7:05… good, he didn't sleep in more than five minutes.

"I think I had a dream tonight…" The boy murmured to himself, still half asleep. "…Wish I could remember it."

Takato glanced back and took a look at his bed. It was a mess, as was the part of the desk next to it. A sure indication he didn't sleep very soundly.

"Ryo didn't call me, guess Henry and Rika turned up safe and sound after all." The boy smiled to himself. The smell of toast and bread filled his nostrils, helping him back into the conscious world. "I better hurry if I want to have enough time to visit Guilmon."

Breakfast was pretty uneventful. The boy ate, drank, and then realized he was now running late just like any other day. He dashed out quickly with a pack full of bread and waved to his parents. Nothing out of the ordinary. The only really interesting thing that had happened in the last week was that Digital Field. Takato wondered if it was still there, he'd have to ask Henry about it later. But for now…

"I'm here boy!" Takato called out to his friend. He didn't have to wait long for a response as a red dino/dragon charged out of his shed towards his Tamer.

"Takato! I was getting worried you weren't going to make it on time today. Kazu and Kenta already stopped by… They didn't come to play though." The dino's ears drooped.

The gogglehead sweatdropped. "Great, that means I'm definitely going to be late." He replied emptying out half his pack. "Here you go."

"Thanks 'Kato."

The boy smiled as he watched Guilmon dig in happily. "No problem boy. I wish I could stay longer, but you know school."

The Saurian nodded. "Mphm. That's okay. Renamon stopped by last night to keep me company."

"Renamon?" The Tamer tilted his head.

That was a little odd. Nothing against her personality but generally she spent most of her time with Rika and occasionally Henry. Guilmon was a little too naive to carry on a long conversation with her.

"What did she say?"

"Keep quiet or go away." Guilmon replied, looking almost saddened by that fact. "She just wanted to relax. She does that sometimes."

Takato chuckled to himself. "Renamon relaxing? Wow, just what was in that Digital Field?"

"Hmmm, I think she said you were." Guilmon stated honestly. The saurian didn't think much of it though even if he was immensely curious as to why his Tamer left him out of the action. He opened his mouth to press the question when Takato answered it automatically.

"Me? I think she was pulling your leg Guilmon." Takato said, still smiling as he got up and ready to leave. As much as he enjoyed talking with Guilmon, if he did it any longer he was sure to be late.

A few seconds later, after the Digimon had swallowed another mouthful and Takato was out of hearing range, the dragon lifted his head up and tilted it slightly. "Hmmm. That doesn't sound like Renamon though… Oh well."

Takato arrived with about an extra minute to spare. Kazu was sleeping on his desk and Kenta was poking him in the shoulder, trying to wake him up…. It wasn't working. Jeri was pulling out all her books and setting them on her desk for when Ms.Asagi arrived and Ryo was just sitting down. Deciding not to disturb his slumbering friend, the gogglehead walked up to Ryo, who had just finished pulling out a small handful of tiny envelopes with heart stickers keeping them closed.

"Wow, you've been here two days and it already looks like you're pretty popular," Takato exclaimed.

"Yeah… More love letters for the giant red angel that saved the city I'm sure."

Takato grinned happily at that. "You think so?"

"Well…" Ryo smiled and ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair. "…maybe not all of them. But seriously, this is kind of annoying."

"Eh?" Takato blinked. "How is being adored by everyone annoying?"

The Legendary Tamer sighed. "Think about a dozen Kazus with higher voices."

"Point taken," Takato exclaimed sitting back in the desk beside Ryo's.

"And those aren't the only kind of letters I get. At my old school I once had a person tell me that I wasn't the real Ryo Akiyama, and that the real Ryo died and was reincarnated as his pet Labramon."

"Another Tamer said that?" Takato asked in disbelief.

"Nope, just some kid with a _really_ ugly dog."

Takato shrugged. "Okay, but it must still be nice to get _some_ notes."

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, except these are all from secret admirers. I'll never know who sent them. And I'll bet you your system crash card that at least half of these are those little pre-printed cards they only have to sign."

"…" Takato blinked at his friend. He had an answer for anything. "How come you seem to know so much?"

Ryo shrugged as the bell went off and the teacher entered the classroom. "My experiences are just different from yours."

"Alright class, everyone please go back to your seats."

Takato proceeded to do as he told. But as he got to the window a blindingly fast yellow blur landed on the ledge just outside the window near where Takato's desk was located. The brown haired boy jumped back, almost tripping over the desk behind him. A certain familiar fox styled Digimon took a seat on the ledge and crossed her legs, glancing back casually at Takato.

"That was discreet," Renamon stated, not quite sarcastic but not quite sincere either.

Takato flushed as the class giggled at him and half made for the window to get a better look at the fox creature. Ms. Asagi was a bit surprised as well. After all, the only Digimon she had seen up close until now was Terriermon. The kitsune paid no mind to the extra attention as she calmly kept her focus on the Gogglehead.

"Umm Renamon?" Takato exclaimed, fighting off the redness in his cheek from being embarrassed in class. "Hi, what brings you here so… suddenly?" He paused as he remembered the Digital Field. "Wait, is Rika alright?"

"My, don't you sound worried," Renamon said earning the slightest blush out of Takato. "Of course she is. I just wanted to invite you to Rika's home today."

Takato arched a brow as he got up and went back to his seat, making a mental note to thank his teacher for not shooing the Digimon away. Very few things got between Ms. Asagi and her work ethic.

"Okay… But couldn't you have told me that later?"

"I wanted to see your class... It's not all that different from Rika's"

Takato scratched his head, not really understanding. "Why would anyone want to see this place?"

"Ahem!" The boy's teacher made her presence know once again as Takato sweatdropped when he looked back at her. She didn't look very impressed with his last comment.

Renamon leaned in to get a better look at the teacher. So _this _was the infamous Ms. Asagi… a casually beautiful woman with shoulder length brown hair and an air of capability around her. "I can see you're busy… I'll come back later." The kitsune said in that same almost mocking tone. Takato turned back to ask her what she meant by that but the fox had already disappeared leaving little swirls of falling leaves in her midst…

_Later? Why? This wasn't just a social call?_

At once the other kids started barraging the leader of the Tamers with a multitude of questions involving Renamon and this 'Rika' she referred to. Ms. Asagi was quick to silence them all by ordering them back to their seats.

Jeremy, another boy in Takato's class with short black hair and greenish yellow shirt butted his way up the mop-headed boy. "Dude, you are so lucky," he said, just before returning to his desk and the withered books on top of them.

Ryo chuckled a bit. "Well Takato? What did it feel like to be the center of attention?"

_Kinda creepy but… _The boy thought to himself.

"Umm, not bad." Takato replied. A few seconds later, the class began…

Elsewhere in Shinjuku, Yamaki flicked his lighter open. No flame came out, it had had run out of fuel years ago. Now it was only present as a way to keep his hand occupied when things got testy. Take this new Digital Field for example… Larger than anything he had ever seen before, filled with Digimon. Or at least that's how it was at first, until all the Digimon disappeared and the field warped itself. And that's how it stayed, at least for now. Henry and Rika had told the man that the field was like a memory inside, but that was impossible.

Unfortunately… That didn't make it any less true.

"Talley, have you found those Digimon yet?

Talley twisted her head to look at the man. "I'm still looking for those?"

"…" The blond didn't move, although the younger woman could easily make the educated guess he was glaring at her through his pitch black shades.

"Err, sorry sir, but there aren't any readings in the real world and there aren't any readings in the Digital World. They just… aren't." The girl tried to explain herself. Yamaki, in a rare moment of zen, simply nodded. He wasn't angry at all. In fact he seemed almost tired.

"It's too bad we don't have an open line of communication with Shibumi or the Digimon Sovereigns, I bet one of them would be able to tell us what this is." Riley grumbled to no one in particular.

"I've made calls to the rest of the Monster Makers. Maybe they can help us figure this out."

The long haired woman momentarily lifted her visor to get a better look at her boss. She considered asking him to take a break, but decided against it. He would never take it anyway. He didn't need a holiday right now, he needed to be doing something… anything that would make his presence seem worthwhile. She typed in a few almost random commands, which was followed by any annoying beeping sound. Yamaki glanced at her. " …Sir. This data packet won't realign with the others."

"Is it a Virus?"

"Not sure, can you give me a hand?"

Nodding, Yamaki climbed onto one of the metallic arms and scaled it with the same ease that one would expect from an athlete, rather than civil servant. He frowned as he looked at the screen. "I didn't realize there was so much damage."

"Well, at least we were able to keep the system from going offline." Talley offered.

"…" Yamaki was indeed glad for that, but still. He should've been able to do something, instead of just stand around and watch Hypnos almost be taken offline in a matter of minutes. He tapped a few keys and pressed the enter button, only to be greeted by the same beeping sound that his coworker had met with.

"Stubborn little…" He tried once more, only to be met with the same result. And again and again. Riley finally gave it another go as well, this time seriously. It didn't work. Talley tried as well from her terminal, and again, failed to repair the damaged data.

"What the…?" Riley murmured to herself. Finally Yamaki checked the properties.

"This file… it's too big. It's not just corrupt, it's a completely different program from what it should be."

"Orders, sir?"

Yamaki paused. As annoying as this was, he also felt it was the opportunity to prove that Hypnos was still useful. "Tag a Yuggoth program to the end of it, but don't delete it. I have a feeling this isn't just a random occurrence."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Ahhh! Finally the weekend. To bad it only comes once a week." Kazu exclaimed.

"No kidding." Kenta added. "One day just isn't long enough."

Henry smiled. "Maybe you should move overseas then. I heard they get both Saturday and Sunday off."

"What? Lucky Americans." The visor boy frowned.

Ryo and Takato just shook their heads. "So what should we do now that we have a day's worth of free time?" The gogglehead asked.

Ryo sighed. Sorry guys, Monodramon Digivolved last night back to his default level. I have to go make sure he doesn't rip out a wall out or something."

"Dude, that sucks."

Ryo nodded. "You guys are so lucky you don't have deal with a rampaging dragon that only thinks about fighting and blowing stuff up."

"Well you know Takato's Megidra-mpghhh!" Henry clamped his hand over Kenta's mouth.

"I'll tell you the same thing I tell Terriermon. Tact, Kenta… tact."

Takato sweatdropped a little. Even if Henry stopped him he knew exactly what Kenta was going to say. He quickly changed the subject before Ryo could ask any questions. "How about you Kazu?"

"Huh?" The heavy metal fan stared back dumbly.

"Do you have any ideas of what to do?"

The visor boy adjusted his head piece as he looked around. Nothing was really coming to him, that is until he saw a group of guys in gym shorts arguing with Ayaka at the side of the dirt field. Now he may not have liked the girl very much, but if there's one thing he couldn't stand more than her, it was seeing immensely unfair odds. He stepped away from the group.

"Yep. Catch you guys later."

"Okaaay… I think we lost him." Takato murmured through his smile. The rest of the group nodded as Ryo parted ways with them at the gate.

Henry took off in the other direction. "Alright guys. I have to pick up Suzie, call me later if you think of something."

"I have to go too Takato." Kenta added.

"Huh? Now where are _you_ going?"

"My grandma is visiting, from Osaka. My family's picking her up."

"Alright." Takato nodded as his friend ran off. He'd just entered the park where his partner Guilmon resided. A few cherry tree blossoms fell down by his feet. The height of spring. "Gee, so much for a weekend hanging out with my friends… I wonder if Rika's doing anything."

"It seems there has been a change of plans. I believe she's with Jeri today."

"Eh!" Takato jerked at the sudden sound of a female's voice. It took him a moment to recognize it as Renamon's. The vulpine was sitting on a branch with one leg hanging over, just above the boy. "Oh hi. Didn't expect to see you here."

Renamon tilted her head. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Er, umm, no reason." The boy flushed realizing how rude he sounded. "Anyway, I guess if Rika's going to hang out with Jeri there's not a lot for me to do."

"…" Renamon rested her head back against the trunk of the tree.

"…Yeah, I guess you wouldn't want to do anything either…"

"Not necessarily… If you're really desperate for something to do then I have an idea." Renamon shifted her eyes. "Have you been to the Digital Field yet?"

Takato shrugged. "Nope. And Henry hasn't been around long enough to tell me what it's like now either."

"Then shall we go down together?"

Takato blinked a couple times. "…? You mean just you and me?"

"Do you have any objections?" The kitsune asked.

The goggleboy shifted his weight all on to one leg. "Well… I was going to see Guilmon and…"

"It shouldn't take too long if that's what you're concerned about."

"Well," Takato rubbed his head. "Can't he come with us?"

"I'd prefer it just be you and I, but if you're not interested then perhaps another time." In a simple display of skill, Renamon rolled over the edge of the tree and somersaulted backwards so she'd land on her feet. Lifting her head to Takato as she got up and turned away to leave.

"Err wait," Takato called out. "I never said I wasn't interested. Just let me take care of some stuff first. (Namely getting more food for Guilmon and dropping off his books, if any of you were wondering).

"Fine, I'll be waiting at the entrance to the Digital Field. Try not to keep me waiting."

"Huh?"

"You're known for being fashionably late."

Takato frowned a bit as the kitsune walked off. Guilmon had sensed the two of them and was just now making his way up to the gogglehead. "You know boy. Somewhere underneath all that fur, I'll bet she was grinning when said that."

"Hmm?"

"I said girls are nuts."

"Oh."

* * *

"No way. If we let her join the team she'd drag us down." An older boy with black hair and a white gym suit shouted back at Shinjuku school.

"Ugh. I can't believe you. I have every right to join your team." Ayaka retorted. "And if you don't let me in, I'll just have to talk to the teacher."

"Go ahead, we'll make you quit anyway."

Ayaka growled. "That's not fair! You jerks are even worse than Kazu."

"That's a lie and you know it!"

Everyone turned as the visor boy himself strolled up the pigtailed girl and rested his elbow on her shoulder like she was a prop. "Hey Yaka. Having fun?"

"Kazu!"

"That's my name all right. No need to sound like we just met or something."

"Look kid we're having a 'discussion' hear. I'm not sure you wanna get involved."

Kazu shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do. What seems to be the problem?"

"She wants to join the school team."

"So?"

"So we got a really good team this year. We don't want some girl dragging us down."

The Tamer smirked. "I wouldn't worry about that. She's pretty fast, chased me down a few times."

The team captain brushed some of his hair to the side. "No offence dude, but that doesn't seem like a huge accomplishment."

"Oh yeah? Well let's make a deal." Kazu grinned confidently.

The black haired boy arched a brow as Ayaka leaned into Kazu. _"What are you doing, you doofus? I was handling this fine by myself."_

Kazu smirked. _"Yeah I noticed._ Alright! We'll have a race across the field. If you win, then Yaka goes away and leaves you guys alone."

"You wish!" The girl cried.

"Yaka, I'm handling this. If I win, then she must be fast cause she's outran me a couple times and you have to accept her."

"Deal. When do you want to do this?"

Kazu scratched his head. "What's wrong with now?"

Ayaka twisted her head around to Kazu. Now she understood. The team captain was already running laps way before Kazu showed up, so he must've been tired. The perfect opportunity to race him. She smiled for a moment… then began to feel nauseated. No way, did she just have a pleasant thought about Kazu? That wasn't possible. That was…

"Ewwww. I think I'm going to be sick." The copper haired girl said, somewhat louder than she intended. The boys turned to her with a confused expression.

"Annnyway So are we going to race or what?"

"No problem, let's go."

Kazu's grin widened…

_Geez, these guys are even easier to figure out than Kenta._

Within minutes the two had taken up positions in front of the gates to the school. The other track and fielders drew a line in the dirt to make sure some children leaving wouldn't get in the way of the race and to designate the finish. A lot of the students that weren't due home were eager to see who would win, the cool and handsome sports captain and member of the student council, or a former bully that was known for locking people in their lockers or the washrooms before he met Takato. Most people, as you might imagine, were rooting for the one without the visor, Akira, as they called him. In fact the only people who were sincerely hoping Kazu would win was Ayaka and Ms Asagi, who was able to see everything from hr classroom.

Another member of the sports club counted the boys off. "Ready… Set…Go!"

Both kids exploded into action. Since it was only from the school steps to the gate neither child bothered to pace themselves. As it turns out, that may not have been a good idea for Kazu as he started to lag behind.

Ayaka rested her hands on her hips at the finish line. "Kazu you dolt! You're losing!"

"Yeah that's helpful." Kazu groaned putting every single bit of effort he had into the last stretch of the race. It paid off too. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Akira start to fall back.

"No…way."

There was only a few meters left. Akira dove to try and get the extra inches he needed to win. Too bad Kazu had the same idea. It was a photo finish but the visor boy was indeed the victor.

"Booya! Guess I'm not so slow after all." Kazu smirked as he sat up on the ground. Although that didn't last long. He was instantly sacked to the ground again by Ayaka.

"Kazu you did it!"

"Yeah, yeah I know. I'm the man. Just get off of me, preferably before someone thinks I like you or something."

Ayaka flushed. "Only if there's world peace and even then it's doubtful."

"Hey, sorry to break you two love birds up…" Akira interrupted, already back on his feet.

Kazu scoffed. " Dude, I don't even like the way she sounds."

"We're not love birds… Hey!" The copper haired girl added as she got up.

"…but you're pretty fast kid. How'd you like to join our team with your girlfriend? I bet she'd appreciate your company too."

"I would not!" Ayaka yelled back.

"She would not! And there's no way I'm joining your little club. It's too much of a bother."

Akira smiled widely. "You know, girls like athletic guys."

The Tamer folded his arms behind his head. "The feeling isn't mutual."

"You get to travel to some really cool places."

"I do that anyway, it's called a Digital Field."

"…You do know sometimes you get to miss class, don't you?"

"Dude! Where do I sign up?" The boy smirked as Akira pulled him back onto his feet. "Well Ayaka, looks like we'll be seeing a little more of each other."

"Oh goodie." The girl grumbled sarcastically.

Meanwhile Takato had just finished his second visit with Guilmon for the day and was on his way to meet with Renamon. It was pretty rare for him to hang out with just a Digimon and not have his or her Tamer around these days. Sure it had happened before when Rika and Renamon were having issues with each other and again when the got separated in the Digital World, but for most part it wasn't a daily occurrence.

The 'entrance' Renamon had referred to earlier was the same tunnel Growlmon once had to sleep in because of his overwhelming girth. Normally the sewers were faster, but you can't honestly expect an eleven year old to lift one of those lids, can you? Renamon wasn't anywhere in sight at the moment, but given the kitsune's nature that wasn't unusual in the least.

"Renamon? Are you here already…?" The goggleboy waited a few moments in silence. "…Don't tell me I got here first. How does _that_ happen?"

"It doesn't." Renamon replied casually. She was back up in her tree looking down at the child. "I surprised to see you here."

Takato smiled a little as he sweatdropped. "I'm not that late… am I?"

"No, you're on time, that's why I'm surprised."

"Oh ok… Hey!"

Renamon smiled a bit, not that anyone could see it. "Shall we?"

"Sure." Takato's smile got wider as Renamon jumped down and took the lead into the tunnel. "Actually, I'm a little excited to know what's down there."

"That makes two of us."

Takato arched a brow. "Weren't you down there earlier?"

Renamon nodded. "Don't worry, you'll see what I mean."

With that final statement, Takato put his curiosity on hold and followed the vulpine… or at least until the roof of the tunnel disappeared and the concrete ground turned into a dirt field leading up to his school.

"What in the world"

"Well, what do you think?" Renamon asked, enjoying the boy's expression of shock and amazement.

"What do I think? This has to be the weirdest and coolest thing I've ever seen."

"I had a feeling you'd like it… Sometimes you can see people here as well."

"Huh?" Takato glanced back as he stepped onto the dirt. "What kind of people?"

"You for starters." The Rookie replied straightly. "That's one of the things I wanted to ask you. How did you meet Kazu and Kenta?"

"Eh?" Takato tilted his head confused.

"Humor me."

"Well, okay. Kenta and I have been friends ever since we went to this school. And as for Kazu, we met him when we were being picked on one day. He was pretty well known for being a jerk, but that wasn't true. If it was he wouldn't have tried to help us by taking on a teenager by himself when he was six."

"…What happened?" Renamon asked.

"All three of us got pounded and ended up running home crying except for Kazu. He just kinda sat there afterwards... Anyways I ran into Kazu again the next day and… we got into a fight. I think Kenta had something to do with it, but it was a long time ago. The only other thing I remember is that we agreed on something and ever since then we've been inseparable, even though Kazu still causes trouble every once in a while."

Renamon nodded. "Thank you. It seems I was correct. You see, that's rather similar to what Rika and I saw the other day. There were some discrepancies, but I suspect Rika's interference had something to do with that."

Takato blinked "You saw that here?"

"Correct."

"Renamon… what is this place?"

The vulpine shook her head. "All the Digital Fields I've ever seen were created to facilitate a Digimon that wanted to cross over into the real world. This one doesn't seem to have that function."

"I got that much already." Takato smiled slightly. "But that doesn't answer my question."

Renamon stepped forward past Takato. A small group of very familiar children were playing tag no more than a few meters ahead of her. "I'm sorry, but your guess is as good as mine."

"Oh…" The gogglehead joined Renamon in watching the kids play. "Guess that means Guilmon was wrong."

"…?"

"Remember when we were in the tunnel going to fight the D-Reaper. Looks like there're some things not even Renamon knows." The child joked.

"…How rude." The Rookie replied sardonically.

Takato chuckled as he watched a child version of himself tag Kazu. The pre-visor boy, in his usual fashion, reacted dramatically by tackling Takato and rubbing his head in the dirt.

"How did you ever stay friends?"

"It wasn't as hard as it looks. Kazu's a lot softer than he lets on…" Takato smiled. "Hey Renamon?"

"Yes?"

The gogglehead looked up to the sky. "This place is really incredible. This is a Digital Field right? Do… Do we really have to destroy it…?"

"…I'm not sure I understand your question."

"What I mean is…" The boy rubbed the back of his had as he search for the right way to put this. "Okay granted I've only been here for about two minutes… but I kind of like this place. I know it's dangerous and it can be scary… but so were you and Rika when we first met you. No offence."

"Actually I take that as a compliment."

"Besides, I like being reminded of this stuff. I haven't thought about it in ages. Did you know Kazu was almost expelled for fighting a couple days after we first met him?"

"…"

"Kenta and I took part of the credit and we all ended up getting suspended for a week. But it was worth it. We're still friends after all."

"It's remarkable how these things work out isn't it?"

The boy nodded as he rubbed the back of his head again. "I guess so. Man I really hope this field stays like this for a while longer. I remember Yamaki said when it first showed up it was swarming with Digimon. The last thing we need right now is another Parasimon relapse."

"I take it then you haven't figure out how to control Gallantmon's Crimson Mode?"

"Nope. And there hasn't been a whole lot of things to test theories out on either. Most Digimon can be handled by either you or Yamaki. And if a big one ever shows up there's always Beelzemon… I should pay him a visit soon."

"Have you tried recalling what you were thinking of when you Mode Changed the second time?"

Takato flushed. "Ummm… Yeah."

"Have you discussed it with any of the other Tamers?"

"Ummm… no."

Renamon arched a brow. "Mind my asking why that is?"

"Because I'm not sure Rika would appreciate my blabbing about her song."

"You haven't told anybody? Not even Henry?"

"The way I see it, I found out simply because I was at the right place at the right time. It's not like Rika actually told me, so I don't think I should be the one to tell anyone else."

While the Rookie may not have shown it, she couldn't help but feel proud of the boy for that. "I'm sure if she were here, she would thank you for that."

Takato blushed a little more. "I-It's nothing. And as for my Crimson Mode I'm not exactly too terribly worried about it. The odds of getting a really strong Digimon Bio-emerging are pretty low."

"And yet it's happened twice in the last year."

"...Thanks for that." The goggleboy replied a little disheartened. "Anyway this has been fun, but I'll bet Guilmon's waiting for me."

"Just one more question."

"Shoot."

"Have you noticed anything different about Rika?"

Takato tilted his head. "Eh? Like what?"

"Like how she acts…" Renamon paused taking in the boy's reaction. He wasn't getting it. "…towards you."

Takato shook his head. "I'm not sure what you mean. She seems the same as always to me. Why?"

"…I'm sorry for bringing it up. Shall we go?" Renamon motioned for the school gates.

"Okay…" The chestnut haired boy replied, a little concerned about his friend's odd question. It was about that time he noticed the tunnel had disappeared, being replaced by the usual scenery he saw at school. "What the?"

Renamon sensed the boy's confusion. "Don't worry the exit is always the school gates." The kitsune signaled for him to follow

Takato caught up and kept up just a little behind the Digimon. "But won't we walk into the side of the tunnel if we go that way?"

"See for yourself." Renamon responded casually, grabbing the boy's arm and jerking him ahead a good couple of meters before he was finally able to get his balance.

"…This place just gets weirder and weirder."

Renamon nodded in agreement as she walked passed Takato and disappeared into thin air, he joined her a second later. Neither of them bothered to notice a certain brown haired six year old staring after them. The six year old also failed to notice a pre-visor wearing boy slam into him with his shoulder.

"C-can't breathe."

Kazu grinned. "You're it."

"That was a little harsh," Kenta reprimanded as he jogged over to the other two.

"It's his own fault for not paying attention. What the heck were you staring at anyway?"

"That fox person was back and it was with a big kid."

Kazu folded his arms behind his head. "So what? Ignore it long enough and it goes away."

"I know. But the kid she was with had red eyes. It was really weird."

"Takato, YOU have red eyes."

"That's why it got my attention," The future gogglehead retorted.

Kazu scoffed. "Look, just don't worry about it. And by the way, you're still it."

The future gogglehead scratched his head from his spot on the ground. "Aww, fine. But no more cheap shots."

"Deal." Kazu's grin widened. "This is gonna be fun."

* * *

**Notes:**

The name Jeremy I took for the Digimon Encyclopedia. Think of him as the equivalent of Ayaka, although I haven't given him any kind of role yet. In the opening, he seems to accompanied by an Ogremon, but that is just my own feeble perception.

This chapter I put together a little differently, mainly because I wanted one of the Tamers (I went with my favorite) to interact with someone else other than a human or his partner. It doesn't happen as often as it should I feel, hence… I did it.

Not much happened this chapter once again although I still feel it's better than the last. I have a god idea for the next chapter though so far it's coming along well.

Renamon's question about Takato's nteraction with Rika... I felt it was good place to add something like that. The truth is, Rika did seemed to be moved y Takato's heroism and passion during the Parasimon attack.(Same could be siad with Jeri during the D-Reaper) But Rika isn't the type to start floudering over such feebles things... which is why I'm making the difference in her behavior as minute as humanly possible.

What...? No Omni…? Whew. That's almost disappointing… almost. I think that's it.

* * *

**Reviews:**

**Peter Joo Kim** – Yes Ai and Mako's family knows about Impmon, but they of course wouldn't let their kids fight. It kinda works out since Impmon is the only Digimon that can Digivolve on his own.

At the moment, I still don't have idea ideas on bringing Impmon back into the plot, but I'll figure something out when the time is right.

**Question Deca** – What the… how did that happen. Never mind, yeah the life of the Tamers is getting more interesting. Rika's going to get an interesting example of that next chapter. Thanks for the review and take care.

**Dark Qiviut** – Thanks. Yep Omnicrom helpful alright, in a gauge my eyes out sort of way. And actually my favorite Tamers are Takato and Rika, Kazu, and Ryo. Never really did understand Jeri, but I'm working on it.

**2nd Review** – Heh, thanks for the heads up. See ya.

Sorry I haven't read any of the fics you've suggested, but I've been pretty busy and it's not letting up any time soon. Thanks for the review and the AA. See ya.

**Lord Destroyer** –Eh? What's wrong with Henry having feelings for Rika? He helped bring the good in her to the surface along with Takato. There was a reviewer for viral state who said Gatomon and Impmon shouldn't go together simply because they were angel and demon. (Ditz doesn't know demons are angels that rebelled, but anyway this is the same principle. I'm not working all that hard to force anything, that why the Jeri/Kazu moment, so if the situation calls for more Henrika then that's what'll happen. Same with Ryuki or my personal favorite, Rukato. Anyway, next chapter is looking to have more Takato and Rika interaction although I've only got a small part of it done. Thanks for the review. See ya.

**Gogglehead** – For this fic I'm going by the principle that any couple is workable with effort. Henry never displayed romantic feelings towards Rika in the series, but in adolescence things can change. What happened in the last chapter however, was merely just verbal confirmation of Henry and Rika's close friendship. Henry blushed because these things are difficult to talk about, not matter how mature you are. As for Hen/Jeri I can see how it would work, but my preference is for Henry to have a more interesting girl or none at all. But then again, as I've said before, whatever happens happens in this fic. Thanks for the review.

**Gerjomarty** – Heh, thanks. To answer your question no Rika has not changed the past and what she did has had absolutely no relevance to anything… yet. Same with Kazu's destroying the Flymon earlier. But that could change. The Digital Field in this fic is more… advanced I guess is the word, than anything else the Tamers have come across, as should be evident by this chapter. And things are just getting started. The rest of your review is making me blush… well it would if I wasn't a dried out husk of a human. Thanks for the review, see ya.

**Flaring Star-Saber** – hello. In the original version of Tamers the children were all 10, thirteen in Canada and the US. Ryo was a year older I believe. I heard it somewhere before, but I didn't bother to double check. I assumed that 14 was for the dub since Ryo looks identical to the rest of the Tamers so I he's be eleven in the original version. I figure about a year and a half would have gone by from when Takato became a Tamer until the Parasimon so everyone would be at least one year older and hence my reasoning.

**2nd Review** – Alice and Ryo just go well together in my mind as well. I seem to be a sucker for gothic stylings and Ryo, well, his overconfidence can actually be pretty becoming when done right. Plus I like the fact that this fic gives me opportunist to play around with Alice's character. Bonus!

As for Ryo/Takato bonding. Heh, the thing I like about Ryo is that his partner is so similar to Takato's, and they're both great Tamers despite living very differently from each other. Ryo's experienced, tactical, confident, popular, and usually acts solo, where as Takato's experience is still low, He tends to wing it and resorts to tactics when it's needed, Unsure of himself at times, not as popular as Ryo unless you count Jeri and Rika, and prefers to fight along with his friends. Takato's also rather gullible which makes him a real easy character to play around with.

**3rd Review** – Heh. Yeah, it's barbaric all right. After watching the third episode of the original version, it's becoming more and more clear just how not an idiot kazu is. Anyway, thanks for the review.

**YumeTakato **– heh, ya you right about the illusion scene being confusion, but if I said one of the kids had red eyes I felt that would make it a little to obvious. And I didn't know what color Kazu and Kenta's eyes were. But yeah… I think I should've put some effort into now. Thanks for the review.

**Kara** - …Well, killing someone is just still an idea. And besides, who said it was going to be a Tamer. Insert evil laighter here cause I'm to friggen tired to hit the caps button.

**2nd Review** – Kazu and Jeri go pretty well together in my head. He's exceedingly confident and Jeri's a little more reserved… unless she's tired. Well anywayway, things will go how they go.

**Anime Obsessed Fan –**

Alright I got a response about your comment about Jeremy in the Notes part of this. And thanks for fixing the visor boy discrepancy. I think I was intending to do that, but I took it out when I was going over everything and revising it.

Heh, you think the Digital Field is bizarre now? You have no idea what else I have planned for that place. As for Rika cleaning up Chibi Takato, I can't really call it a hint since there was no romantic feelings between either of them, but seeing a glint of Rika's softer side (And displayed to a younger Takato) was rather nice to write.

Heh, Kazu and Jeri may have been unintentional, but it worked out quite nice, don't you agree. Who knows, if Ayaka starts to fall for him and I add some hints between him and Alice when she enters he may become a pimp wagon even rivaling Takato and camparable to Link, Mario, and Megaman… What, those three are the ULTIMATE lady killers. And they don't even realize it is the best part. Then you get you sub pimps, Ikki, Takato, Laharl, you know.

I agree. Good intention don't always work out for the best in real life either no matter what. But at least someone is trying to do something. Apathy is more common in these days. And the fact that I'm guilty of it too kinda makes me sic… if I cared more it would anyway.

Oh sorry. Hey I really like Kari's voice actor. It goes rather well with Asagi's character. Anyway thanks for the review. See ya.


	5. Chapter 5

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After Thoughts – Chapter 5

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Guilmon shifted in his sleep as his golden eyes snapped open like a reverse mouse trap. Something had awoken during his pleasant sleep. But it wasn't a sight, a sound, or even perhaps a bad dream. The monster's nose had woken him up, for no other reason than he smelled Takato. Problem was though, it was pitch black outside and raining. And Guilmon didn't sense any Digimon out there either. So what was Takato doing… well, only one way to find out. Takato might be angry with him for leaving his home, but he was sure his friend would understand.

Of course, he wasn't the only Digimon that sensed something was amiss. As usual Renamon immediately became aware of something strange traveling around. It felt like a Digimon, but somehow it seemed… small, far too small to be a Rookie, or even a baby like Calumon. The kitsune glanced to the side, her Tamer slept soundly in her pajamas, no use waking her up for something like this. She form quickly faded from view and reappeared in front of the moon. The rain would make her fur wet, but that was only a minor inconvenience.

From rooftop to rooftop she jumped, steadily becoming aware that she was headed to the Matsuki bakery. She paused when she noticed Guilmon trudging along in the same direction, only after twenty feet lower.

"Guilmon? You sense it too?"

The crimson lizard look up, his expression lightening at the sight of his close comrade. "I'm just following my nose."

Renamon feigned a smile as she dropped back behind the saurian. Her sense for Digimon could detect the general vicinity of her target, but unless it was in her line of sight she was better off relying on Guilmon's snout.

The saurian kept going straight for about another minute, then turned left suddenly into an alleyway. Takato's home was just on the other side of the street at the end of it. And the objective, was about halfway through it, jogging in the rain. Renamon used her insane speed to cut the child off on the other side, and quickly gasped when she saw its face.

"Takato…?"

The small crimson-eyed human looked up. "Oh, it's you. The fox person from school… Why are you here?" Guilmon walked up behind his Tamer and began a thorough sniffing inspection. "H-hey that tickles." The boy giggled at the dinosaurs touch… until he saw his face anyway. "AHHH!"

The six year old stepped back, accidental placing his foot on an empty can. He almost fell over and into a puddle (Which wouldn't make much difference at this point) but Renamon caught him and used her body to shield him from the rain. Guilmon grabbed a garbage lid and used it as an umbrella for all of them as he got closer.

"How come Takatomon shrunk?" Guilmon asked curiously.

Renamon shook her head. "This isn't you're Tamer, Guilmon. This… will take some explaining. What I want to know is why did you come out of the Digital Field now?" Renamon asked, turning her head to the child. She wasn't really expecting and answer, and of course all the infant could do was stare back blankly. The female sighed tiredly. "This is no good. We have to take him somewhere."

Guilmon tilted his head. "The bakery? It's always warm and has lots of food."

At first, that may have seemed like a good idea. The lights were out and the doors most likely locked but Renamon could get in easily enough. But there was a problem, she didn't want to be the one to explain that there's a six year old clone of their son running around. And that was to say nothing of how the young lad would react when he found out he wasn't real.

"Ummm, miss. I don't mean to be rude but you're rally wet." Takato complained. "My house is just over there. You can come in and dry yourself if you want. Man, mom and dad must be worried sick about me right now."

"And me." Guilmon added.

"…?"

Renamon paid no mention to the two. Another thought was Guilmon's shed. It was nice and out of the way, and Guilmon's pyro sphere could keep things warm. Not only that but there was plenty of room thanks to Guilmon's 'renovations'. But no, Renamon would not allow this child to sleep in a hole in the ground, no matter how sanitary the reptile was.

"Renamon…?"

"Miss…?"

"Seiko…" Renamon murmured. Yes, Rumiko's mother would undoubtedly take care of the boy. Plus Rika needed to know about this as soon as possible. The Rookie glanced down at the boy in her arms and he stared back up her innocently, no clue that he was some kind of mistake. "Takato, you're parents have gone to meet you're cousin, Kai. He's been hurt so you're mother and father wanted to make sure he's alright."

Takato scratched his hair. "Huh… I didn't know I have a cousin."

Again, the kitsune sighed. Guess they hadn't met yet. "Well you do. A babysitter was suppose to pick you up but she didn't make it either, so I'm going to take you home with me."

Takato began to push away nervously. "My mom and dad always say if a stranger asks you to go anywhere with them, then just say no."

Renamon scanned her mind for a way to make Takato believe her. But sadly, she just didn't know the boy well enough at this age. "…Kazu and Kenta's parents weren't able to take you either. I realize you don't know us very well, but it can't be helped."

"We're not strangers." Guilmon's bat wing ears drooped. "We're friends."

Takato turned and stared at the dinosaur, an involuntary shivered navigated it's way through his spine. It was cold and wet, and the boy really wasn't looking forward to spending all night outside. "…Okay… So, where are we going then?"

Guilmon glanced up at Renamon, awaiting her instructions. The vulpine motioned back the way she had came. "Rika's house. You remember you're way there, right Guilmon."

"Of course." The Guilmon piped happily. He stuck his nose between the boy legs, and in one movement flipped the child onto his back, still holding the garbage lid. "Does Renamon want a ride too?"

The kitsune turned away. "I'll take a rain check." She lied, just before leaping back up to the rooftops. The two males watched until she was out of sight. Takato looked down at his future partner. "Is she always like that?"

"Yep." Guilmon exclaimed as he quickly rushed after his friend.

Now here's the kind of situation where Renamon's phase shifting ability was useful. She was able to get to Rika house and begin preparing for Takato's arrival immediately. He would be wet and dirty, but a shower would wake everyone up. Rika probably had some spare clothes she could lend until tomorrow morning. It was lucky she dressed like a boy. Would he be hungry? Perhaps she could put out some cookies to hold him over. Renamon sighed as she sorted through Rika's drawers.

"How did this happen?" Renamon mused to herself

"Renamon? I'm not sure Rika has anything in your size." An older woman smiled softly standing at the doorway to Rika rooms. Given her unemployment and older age she needed much less sleep than her offspring.

"Sorry, it's not for me." Renamon taking out a T-shirt and some shorts Rika hadn't worn since a few summers ago.

"Oh?" The elderly lady replied. "I should think it's a little late for company."

"This is somewhat of an emergency." The kitsune stood up. "I'll tell you about in the living room. And you might want to put some tea on…"

Guilmon arrived a few minutes later. The two women had already set everything up for the boy's arrival including a futon in the living room. The dragon knocked on the door politely as he waited to be invited inside. Seiko was the one to answer the door and show the lad to his meal. Guilmon stayed around as well. He didn't understand the situation fully but his Tamer was his tamer, no way around it.

While Guilmon kept Takato company, Renamon and the elderly woman were going over what had happened one room over. "He could still be a Digimon." Renamon stated basically.

"Oh?"

"If he doesn't have any attribute except for his appearance, then he wouldn't have a type, or any attacks. The only distinction between him and another human would be that he's made out of data."

"I see. Well, I'll leave the technical side of this to you and your friends Renamon. I'm more concerned about what Rika and Rumiko will think."

"We'll have to call Takato over and Yamaki as well. I hope you don't mind."

The old woman smiled. "Ah that young man is always welcome. And Yamaki… wasn't he the blond haired man that paid us a visit during the D-Reaper."

"Yes, you have an excellent memory."

"I'm not that old yet." Seiko grinned as she took a sip out of her tea. "Are there any others you should invite?"

"Henry. I'll see if Ryo can make it tomorrow but it seems he's having trouble with Cyberdramon."

"Alright then. I hope at least one of them can help us."

Renamon sighed. "That makes two of us…"

* * *

The next morning was… a surprise to say the least. Pale light poured into the room as Rika stood in doorway to the kitchen in her pajamas. A plate of eggs in one hand and an orange juice in the other. She was staring at a slumbering kid snoring lightly in the middle of the living room. How she missed him when she first woke up was anyone's guess. Not only was he snuggled up to the lumbering oaf Guilmon, The table was even against the wall to make room for him! But that wasn't what really bothered. As you probably all have guessed, it wasn't that hard to recognize him as the young Takato from the Digital Field.

"Rika, did you sleep well? I'm sorry but your mother already left."

Rika nodded as she faced her grandmother. The woman was already dressed clasping a small cup tea in her hands. "I gathered. Her keys and everything were gone soo..."

"Oh, I see you've noticed our guest."

Again, Rika nodded. "Yeah… What's he doing here?"

"Well, I didn't understand everything Renamon said to me but… it seems he wandered out of some special area."

_The digital field… _Rika thought to herself.

"Well, anyway, since Renamon and Guilmon were the ones that found him they brought him hear." Seiko took a sip of her tea. "Later I'll call Takato, Henry, Yamaki, and Ryo if possible."

Rika gave a sadistic half smile. "Ryo? And this was supposed to be a holiday."

As the two women turned back to the boy they were suddenly alerted to the fact that he was no longer sleeping. He had sat up, and was looking longingly at the food, but seemed to nervous to say anything about it. The red head walked over casually and set her plate down next to him, she had to get changed anyway, since it sounded like things were going to get very busy. Upon reentering her room, she found Renamon was already waiting inside, just off the doorway. She smiled as she passed her by.

"You seem to be taking the fact that there is a reverse aged Takato in your living room very well." Renamon commented.

"Of course. After the Parasimon I was worried thing were going to get boring. Besides, it's… interesting knowing what Takato was like as a kid." Rika responded, pulling her top off and reaching for her usual T-Shirt.

Renamon just smiled coyly.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just never pictured you the nurturer."

"I'm not, really. He's just easy to deal with."

Renamon nodded. "I understand. And if you're curious, Ryo will be able to come over…"

"I wasn't."

"Ahem, he seemed tired when I visited him. It looks like he had some trouble with Cyberdramon so, go easy on him today."

"I'll consider it." Rika smirked. "Doesn't he have a de-digivolution card?"

"I didn't ask, but I'm assuming not… You don't have one either, if I'm not mistaken."

"Of course, you're cool in all your forms." Rika replied moving onto her

People started showing up as the sun began rise, casting it's comforting golden glow on the rest of the world. Surprisingly Ryo was the first. He gave his usual greeting and Rika gave her usual warning of 'Don't call me wildcat, Akiyama.' Next was Yamaki. Neither of his faithful assistants accompanied him. Henry was the showed up quickly after that, Terriermon right along with him on his head.

"Takato not here yet?" Henry asked, already knowing the answer.

"Guess not." Ryo replied through a yawn. "So Rika what made you call us over? Don't tell me it was just to see our handsome faces again."

"Does it take effort to be that delusional, or does it just come naturally?"

Ryo chuckled in spite of his friend's comment. For him it was more about getting a rise out of the girl, something of which he did rather well. "Love you too."

Rika's eye twitched a little. _Isn't he suppose to be tired?_

_  
_"All joking aside, why did you call us over?"

"Don't get you're ears bunched up. I'll tell you when Takato gets here."

Yamaki folded his arms irritably. "I don't have time for this. If you have something important for us to know then lets here it."

"Wow Yamaki, get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Terriermon quipped, earning a hard glare from the older gentleman.

"Didn't sleep. The Digital Field went through another major adjustment in the middle of the night, and just when we had almost caught up with all the damage the last one did."

Ryo yawned as he took a seat. "Are there any Digimon again?"

"Don't know. Our systems are completely down right now. We're essentially blind. But I don't think anyone should go down there, at least not until we know what we're dealing with."

Henry nodded in agreement. "Sounds good, do you know when Hypnos will be back up.

"It'll take about to day to recompile the whole system, but I think we should be able to get our scanners up in a few hours, providing nothing else goes wrong."

"Just haaad to jinx yourself, didn't ya." The green dog giggled.

"That's not funny…" Yamaki replied frankly.

The next thing the group heard was the front door sliding open, which was quickly followed by repeated thumbs, and lastly, a young boy shouting and asking Guilmon to get off of him. Rika smiled as she pictured them.

"Get in here Goggles. You're late."

"Err, right. Just a sec." The boy replied jogging inside placing a backpack of bread on the ground. Guilmon and Terriermon almost ripped the item to shreds trying to get at the goodies. Takato took a loaf as well and offered it to Renamon who was leaning up against the wall behind him. She politely declined.

"So, now will you tell us why you called us here?" Henry asked.

Rika nodded "Sure, to put it simply we've got a problem. It seems a whole lot more than just Digimon can come out of that Digital Field. And that's a thought with limitless implecations."

"Can we get an example?" Ryo asked.

"All right, The six year old Takato biomerged last night. He was half a block away from the Bakery before Renamon and Guilmon intercepted him.

"…" The group exchange glances. "Are you serious?"

Henry arched a brow. "Where is he now?"

"Sleeping on mom's bed. It's the most comfortable and she doesn't mind."

"Can I see him?" Terriermon asked.

"I…don't see why not."

"Can I… poke him with a stick?"

"No."

So then, what are you going to do with him?" Henry asked. "I don't think having him live with his older version of himself would be a good idea."

"Why not?" Guilmon piped up. "He's a lot of fun to play with. Ooo maybe he can live with me."

Henry chuckled. "Sorry Guilmon, but I don't think that's a very good idea either. And as for Takato house, think how you would feel if your parents started calling a boy you've never seen before son. I think that would be a little confusing."

"What about your house brainiac?"

"Too many kids already. Even if I'm sure Suzie would get along with him."

Rika turned her head. "Ryo?"

"Cyberdramon, enough said. Besides, my dad still isn't big on the whole idea that I'm Tamer. I doubt bring a digital rip off of Takato home would help his opinion."

Yamaki had been flicking his lighter since he walked on. Suddenly he became aware that all eyes were on him. "Don't even think about it."

"Looks like he stays with you a little while longer." Terriermon giggled. Rika sent him a death glare.

The blond man snapped his lighter shut. "This isn't good. It can make Digimon, and it can maker people. I'm seriously beginning to wonder what it can't make."

"At least it doesn't seem violent." Takato offered.

"True, but remember the Flymon Kazu took out. This Digital Field can still make violent things."

"You guys are talking about it like a person." Terriermon giggled at the humans.

Henry rolled his eyes up to meet the rabbit dogs. "At this point I'm not so sure it's a good idea to rule that out."

Takato scratched though his brown hair "Do you have any idea on what it could be, Henry?"

"Not yet, I've being tying to put together a few theories but… Nothing seems to fit."

"Let's review what we know." Rika suggested.

"We know it's miles long, and that it's sizes changes every time it reformats itself." Yamaki went first. "Both those things should of destabilized the field and made it cave in on itself a while ago."

"We know that the laws of physics don't apply. The exit is different from the entrance and leaves you at a different spot each time." Henry continued.

"The memories it portrays are accurate as far as Renamon tells me."

Takato nodded, remembering the kitsune brought that up the other day. "It doesn't seem like something made to cause damage."

"And Cyberdramon was almost willing to go through me to get to it last night." Ryo finished off absent mindlessly. It took him a moment that his comment had actually got everyone's attention. He really was exhausted.

The brunette leaned over. "Are you alright."

"Yeah. Cyberdramon's pretty tough to handle but he's not insane." Ryo yawned, not noticing the sideways glance Henry gave him. "It just takes a lot out of you when it's the middle of the night, that's all."

"I can't think of a pattern. How 'bout the rest of you?" Henry asked. The group gave a collective no. "Well then that settles that."

"So there's nothing we can do right now?" Takato asked.

The blue haired boy shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. Should we let the others know not to go inside right?"

"I don't think that'll be a problem with Kenta. But we should probably tell Kazu."

"I'm meeting him later today to practice for the tag tournament next Sunday, I can tell him then."

Takato leaned over to henry, surprised. "You're going to be in the tournament?"

"Err yeah." Henry said a little quietly. He wasn't quiet sure how the goggleboy would react that he was entering with Kazu rather than his best friend, next to Terriermon of course. "Sorry about not asking you to be my partner. I wasn't really planning on entering but Kazu asked me and…"

"Oh it's no problem. I was just surprised because Ryo and I are entering as partners too."

"So I have to beat all three of you then? No problem." Rika stated. The boys turned to her questioningly.

"…Jeri and I signed up for the tournament last week. You guys are going down."

Ryo glanced to Takato. "Jeri? I didn't know she played."

"Rika trained her. We might be in serious trouble."

"I don't think 'might be' even comes close to how much trouble you guys are in with Henry as your opponent." Terriermon chimed. "Remember Henroid, your representing me out there too so don't blow it."

The half Chinese Tamer chuckled as he held his head. "Right, I'll try to remember that."

"Alright, so, should is there anyone else we need to tell? I can't imagine Suzy wandering in there."

"Perhaps, but let's not forget Impmon."

Takato smiled. "Yeah, I've been meaning to pay him a visit."

"I think I'll join you." Renamon said, stepping forward. "It's been a while since I had the… experience of hearing his voice."

"Wow, that's a diplomatic way of putting it." Terriermon giggled.

"I'll head back to Hypnos then." Yamaki announced. "Thanks for the update Rika, and as for the rest of you, take care of yourselves till next time."

Rika smirked as the man left. Takato, Guilmon, and Renamon left not long afterwards. Henry as he had mentioned, left to go meet Kazu at the park. Pretty soon the only one left in the house was Ryo, Rika, and her grandmother.

"Alone at last." The legendary Tamer chuckled. "Well, almost."

"Can it, Akiyama. Don't you have a rampaging Ultimate to deal with."

The brown haired boy raised his hands defensively. "Easy. It was just a joke. And as for Cyberdramon, I don't think a few minutes will do any harm. It's been too long since we hung out."

Rika frowned. "Maybe if you stopped your disappearing acts you wouldn't think so."

Ryo sweatdropped. The slightly annoyed girl in front of him had a point. Rika was never dependant on anyone, but why get attached to someone who's just going to leave you high and dry. And it wasn't as Ryo could just promise to stay put either. He wanted to… but… well, things in the Digital World very rarely go as planned.

"Sorry." Ryo murmured in response. Never thought her would dislike being the legendary Tamer. Suddenly his head picked up again. "What if I made it up to you?"

Rika's responded by folding her arms. "Oh this should be good."

"There's a patch of cherry trees in the park where Guilmon's hut is located. What if I take you there one day." Ryo's eyes flashed. Either she would say yes, or at least get a rise out of her. For him this was a question with a win, win answer. To his surprise though, Rika seemed to get slightly uncomfortable.

"Are you asking me out on a date."

"Hey, I'm brave, not stupid. This is just a chance to hang out, you know, like the way you do with Takato and Henry."

"Sorry Akiyama, but we won't be hanging out like that. Those two knew me… earlier. In fact the first time I saw Takato I was trying to load data out of his Guilmon."

Ryo blinked. He never heard this story before. I mean, sure Rika was a little rough around the edges, but a Digimon murderer? That didn't seem to fit her at all. Especially considering how well she got along with Renamon. "…Okay. See, this is kinda thing I'd like to find out about. Now that wasn't too hard for you, was it?"

"No, it wasn't."

"So then, what do you say?" Ryo grinned. It looked like she was going to say yes from his perspective.

"Sorry Akiyama."

"Eh? Why not?"

"…Someone already asked me."

At this theVaccine Tamer became interested. "And you agreed to go?"

Rika turned away slightly and poured herself a cup of tea. It had been simmering since the boy arrived. "I haven't given a response."

Ryo smiled as he leaned in curiously. "Wow. So tell me then, who is the lucky dog? One of the other Tamers?"

"…Why do you want to know?" The fiery hared girl arched a brow suspiciously.

Again the Legendary Tamer was back on the defensive. "Heh, relax. I'm not going to track him down and threaten him with Cyberdramon… although-"

"-Put the idea out of your head." The girl interrupted sternly.

"But it's a good idea." Ryo laughed, finally getting Rika to smile. "But seriously, If you don't want to tell me then no one's forcing you. I'm just surprised. If figured if anyone would end up staying single until they were fifty it would be you… Well, first Kazu then you."

"Hmph. Thanks." The girl remarked sardonically.

"Err, I didn't mean your not loveable I just meant-" While Ryo began to blush, Rika enjoyed how he was now squirming in his chair.

"I got it. You need to work on how you word things."

"Yeah… I think your right. But do you mind if I ask what you're answer is going to be."

Rika lowered her head taking a sip of her tea. "…I don't know if the invitation is even still there, or if it was sincere in the first place. It's complicated."

"Sounds like you have a lot on your mind." Ryo stated making his way to the door.

Rika frowned again. "I didn't until you reminded me."

Ryo flashed that same cocky grin he usually did as he slipped his shoes on. "Well you know me, always happy to help. And by the way, you didn't answer my question." The boy slid the door open, then shut quietly, letting a refreshing burst of cool air into the house. The orange glowed of the sky was steadily being replaced by a light blue.

Rika slumped back onto the couch letting her shoulders relax. Jeri would be stopping by later so the two could hang out. But that was over an hour away. Slowly her mind drifted back to Ryo's question. "…If I had to give an answer, it would probably be…"

"Problems dear?" Seiko asked stepping into the living room.

"Nothing important."

The elderly woman smiled kindly. The matters of the Tamers have not have directly been her business, but sound carried well in the old style house. "That's not what it sounded like."

Rika began to flush. "Ryo was just getting on my nerves again, as usual."

"And yet you two seem to get along famously."

Rika narrowed her eyes a little. "Give me a break."

* * *

Meanwhile, a few blocks away Impmon was launching a one man protest against the girlishness of one of his Tamers. A short girl about Suzie's age. With auburn brown hair tied into adorable little pigtails. Her name was Ai, twin to Impmon's other Tamer, Mako.

"Uhh, Mako? Little help here?" Impmon yelled while trying to fend off Ai and the frilly pink dress she was holding. The small brown haired girl was not letting him free so easily.

"Come on Impmon. We're going to play house."

_No offence girly but not if I have anything to do with it._

"Come on Mako!"

Mako folded his arms. "Nope. If you didn't wanna play tag with me, then you have to play house with her."

"Aww Gomme a break. I didn't know this was going to happen." The Virus protested, Ai was steadily managing to corner him. Who knew those little legs could move so fast. Within seconds he was pinned against the wall.

"Hee hee. You're going to look so preeety." The girl giggled, almost evily.

_Ding dong!_

"I got it!" Impmon yelled, jumping onto Ai's head and then off as she lunged at him. "Whew, saved by the bell."

"You might want to rethink those words. "Renamon replied calmly as the little hobgoblin opened the door.

"Hiii" Guilmon waved.

Impmon sneered. "Well didn't expect to see you guys today. Takato, Pineapple head, and Foxy. If you wanna sparring session today then I'm not really in the mood. Or did you just come by to see my smilin' face."

"Your delusions know no bounds Impmon."

"Impmon! Who is it?" Shouted a woman's voice from deeper within the house.

Within a few seconds a moderately aged woman with curly shoulder length brown hair stepping into the hallway. She was quite lovely, and the apparent mother of the twins. The resemblance was obvious. From the look of the light blue 'Hello Kitty' apron, silver platter, and towel she was carrying, it looked like she had just come back from washing the dishes. Although she did a double take at the sight of the giant red lizard and his kitsune accomplice, raising the platter to cover part of her face.

"Umm, are you what Impmon calls… Wild ones?"

Takato and Renamon exchanged glances before the former began furiously shaking his head. "N-no ma'am."

Impmon coughed into his first. "Ahem. Allow me to properly introduce you guys." He announced signaling for Ai and Mako to come over. "First off we got the reptilian vacume cleaner, Pinapple head."

Guilmon waved happily at his introduction while Takato just shook his head. "His name is Guilmon."

"Next up we got Rika's partner and probably the deadliest Digimon around, Foxy."

The humanoid Rookie stepped forward and held out one of her gloved paw/hands. "Renamon, pleased to meet you. And please don't listen to anything the whelp tells you."

"I'm Asura. And from what I understand you helped save the city twice. The pleasure is all mine.

"_Nice name"_ Takato murmured to himself.

"Thank you." Asura replied apparently catching his comment.

"And lastly we got gogglehead."

"Nice to- Hey! I'm Takato."

Impmon folded his arms behind his head. "Whatever. Same difference. Anyway these guys are like my sidekicks.

Takato shook his head again in disbelief. "Impmon… What have you been telling these people?"

The Virus glanced up innocently. "The truth, of course."

"Really?" Renamon turned her head slightly. "Well, I suppose if that's what works for you. But this isn't entirely a social call."

"Oh! By all means come in. I wouldn't be much of a hostess if I left my guests just standing around now would I?"

"Thanks but were really here to just drop off a message." Takato smiled.

"Awww, And I was so looking forward for someone to test out my brownies on." The woman sulked. In a heartbeat Guilmon almost bowled his Tamer over. Asura beamed as he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes as if to ask where the food was. AI and Mako also took up pleading positions on the reptile's left and right sides.

"You better save some for me Pineapple head! Kapeesh?"

"Ookie dookie."

"And remember your table manners!" Takato called out as Ai and Mako's mom led the dinosaur away. "Heh heh. Wow, she seems to have taken the whole 'my children have a friend monster' thing pretty well."

Impmon scoffed. "You should've been there the first time we met and she came at me with a broom."

"Why didn't you just Digivolve?"

"I did. She thought I was a robber and tried to pepper spray me."

"Ouch." Takato cringed.

"Yeah, how do you think it felt with three eyes? Anyway, she's not the brightest bulb on the tree if you know what I mean, but she she's a sweetie, treats me like a third kid…" The Virus paused, his complexion fading a bit. "…even when I'm in my Mega form."

"Awww, did mommy make you wear a bib?"

"Quite foxy… UMPH."

Renamon glanced down at the brunette as she dug her heal into the imp's spine. "Apparently his mother never taught him the importance of manners."

Takato smiled. Honestly, some thing never changed. "Granted but if you kill him that kind of defeats the purpose of my coming here."

Impmon began to squirm free as the fox eased up on the pressure she was applying. "Yeah. About that. What's so important you both had to come here to tell me."

"Ahh well, neither of s really had to come. " Takato sweatdropped. "But it's been a while and Renamon said she wanted to see you."

"…Not quite how I put it." The kitsune reminded the lad calmly. "Anyway. As you've no doubt realized there's a massive Digital Field underneath the city."

The Virus tilted his head. "There's a what-now? How come no one told me?"

"Haven't you been checking your D-Arc?"

Impmon folded his arms. "Nah I doubt need some stupid paper weight to tell me when a Digimon is attacking. Besides, it's in the bottom of the toy box thanks to '_mom_'. I haven't seen it two weeks."

Take sighed and went over to the room he saw Ai and Mako come out of to look for it while Renamon continued her explanation. He was back up to speed in a few minutes. "

Sounds like a blast. Badda Boom!" The Imp flicked a fireball in, and out of existence. "So when do we get rid of this thing."

"That's just it. We don't know how to do that… yet. So until Hypnos is back online, it's probably a wise idea to stay on the surface."

"Kill joy."

"What an ungrateful child you're turning out to be."

"Tch." Impmon glared up angrily. "In case you haven't noticed I ain't a kid."

Renamon turned away. It was hard to tell if she was actually enjoying the Rookie reaction, or if she just found him annoying. "You certainly could've fooled me."

"Yeah, well we'll see. Hey, Takato!"

"Whatever it is, Renamon's right." The boy hollered back, causing Renamon to smile, even if just a little. Suddenly her smile faded.

"…Something's coming…"

"Huh?" Impmon arched a brow. "Eh don't go crazy on me now foxy."

From the other room Takato's voice could be heard. "Hey I found it… Hey it's beeping. It looks like a wild one is coming." The boy regrouped with her his friends. "Wow, and it looks very big."

"I know, I can sense it."

Takato smiled a little uneasily. "Heh, Renamon you're kinda scary sometimes."

"Sorry to cut our little visit extra short Impmon, but I'm going to find Rika."

"Why bother?" Impmon asked smirking as wide as he could. "You got the two most dangerous Digimon right here, and it just so happens I could use a little misplaced aggression right now, ya dig?"

Takato nodded. "And it's not like I have anything to do right now. Leave this to us. Besides, Impmon and I haven't really hung out in the longest time."

"If that's what you want, then by all means."

As Renamon turned to the doorway Guilmon came around the corner with a feral look in his eyes. He had sensed the oncoming Biomergence and was curious about his partner's instructions. Renamon paused in the doorway glanced back at the three. Impmon took note as he scoffed rudely.

"What's a matter foxy, forget something?"

"No, you've just all grown so much. Sometimes the past seems like a dream. I'm not sure if you can relate."

Takato chuckled to himself. "A little. Remembering you're first fight with Guilmon seems like ancient history now. But I can't say it ever felt like a dream, then again, my dreams can be pretty messed up."

"We've all grown up. Me, into a damn good looking Mega." The goblin sneered.

"I don't think that's what she meant." Guilmon leaned over his friend.

"Tch, what do you know?"

"It still seems like I'm forgetting something."

"Well…" Takato shrugged. "You could wish us luck."

"Hmmm." Renamon smiled walking over to Takato. Reaching out with one hand she stuck it into Takato hair and ruffled it up. "Good luck."

"Eh?"

The vulpine took a step back. "Sorry, Inappropriate?"

"N-No. That's not it at all. It just suddenly felt like I had an older sister… who isn't human… and who could probably break my neck with one hand."

"Yes well, please make sure Impmon doesn't do anything too crazy either."

"Ha, as if he could stop me." The Virus shouted.

Takato sweatdropped. "That isn't a good thing Impmon."

"Bye bye, Renamon." Guilmon waved. She phased out of view a second later and Takato, Guilmon, and Impmon stepped outside.

Takato handed Impmon's D-Arc back to it's respective owner and took out his own. "Alright, it looks like it's near the park. Ready Impmon?"

"Humph. I'm waitin' on you."

"Okay, let's go."

**Biomerge Activate!**

**!-!**

**Reviews:**

Peter Kim - This should answer your question.. well one of them anyway. And in case your wondering, the Memory field isn't entirely gone It's just gone though another change. It'll be back… later. And your idea of how Yamaki can use the Digital Field was good, but it's highly unstable and so far none of the other systems have been able to control it. Plus, Yamaki has no direct ties with the law so he probably doesn't care much about arresting people. Also the crime rate in Japan is very low, making it even less of a problem. Thanks for the review. See ya.

Lord Destroyer – Well, Henry was originally designed to contrast Takato's childish views. He may not have had as big a role as Takato or Renamon, but I still believe he was essential for Rika and Renamon to work things out. For example, Takato may have gone looking for Rika once or twice, but when Renamon needed someone to talk to about her partner she went to either Henry or Impmon.

At any rate. Again, I have no plans for solid couples. That scene came about partly because Henry and Rika are very close friends, and partly because they're reaching that awkward age. Thanks for the review.


	6. Chapter 6

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**After Thoughts – Chapter 6

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Rika sighed as she waited patiently for Jeri to meet her, silently regretting that they had agreed to meet in such an oppressively busy place. Then again, it was at least giving her a chance to get used to the noise level before heading inside. The location was a mall, well, to be precise, just outside of one on a stone block obviously intended to be used as a seat.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, Renamon had informed her that there was a massive Biomergence near the park. And on one the few days school wouldn't have been in the way. Oh well, at least she had her portable headphones. As for the music she was listening too… I'll leave that to your imagination.

_Problems? _Renamon asked from the shadows. The world almost darkened around Rika. This was just another advantage of having her as partner. Not even Takato and Guilmon could communicate like this. Rika smiled slightly as she turned down the volume on her headset.

"_I don't want to complain."_

_Very well, but how do you feel about sharing your thoughts._

"…_Alright. I missed out on the action when the last Biomergence occurred and now I'm missing out again for no good reason."_

_Jeri isn't a good reason? _The kitsune asked slyly.

"_That's not what I meant. It's just, shopping isn't really my thing, you know."_

_Of course, but you admitted it yourself that you need new clothes. Besides, I'm sure Takato and Impmon could use some time together._

"_You mean like… male bonding? What do they do when they're alone anyway?"_

_I thought you knew._

"…"

_Well it seems that they mainly just horse around. Many of the older ones talk about which girls they like._

"_Is that all? How is that any fun?"_

_Sorry Rika, I don't pretend to understand your species._

The red haired girl folded her arms behind her head casually. _"Neither do I."_

And speaking of things Rika had trouble understanding, suddenly a bright orange dog-like thing with a cotton nose and button eyes came out of nowhere right in front of the Vulpine Tamer's face. A lesser person may have been startled, but Rika just grinned.

"Ruff- Something wrong?"

"Nope." The girl replied pushing herself onto her feet and taking a moment to brush her pants off. "Geez Jeri you're late. Hope Takato isn't rubbing off on you."

The brown haired girl just smiled sweetly and tilted her head to one side. "I don't think so. My dad needed an extra hand at the bar so I fell behind."

"Oh right I forgot that's what your family does for a living. I'll never understand how can you stand all those stuffy old geezers."

"They're aren't all so bad. Mr. Yukinawa is a really nice person. Really interesting. He was suppose to fight in the war as a suicide bomber but his plane had engine troubles so he survived."

"A fighter? Now there's someone I can relate to."

Jeri giggled. "Don't be so sure. He doesn't like that stuff anymore. Now he works in all sorts of trades."

Rika nodded, moderately impressed. This person sounded like someone she'd like to meet one day if fortune allowed it. But until then… "Let's go. The sooner we go into the mall the sooner we can leave."

"Awww, It won't be so bad." The Ex-Tamer cooed in a babyish voice.

Rika turned her head back to respond but it looked like something had already caught Jeri's attention. The tomboy followed her friends stare to another young man arguing with a street vendor about how unfair it was to charge for condiments. He was dressed in a white shirt and shorts, like a member from a track and field team. Rika sighed at the boy's behavior. How pathetic, why not just spend the extra ten yen and just get it over with.

"Jeri?"

"Isn't that Kazu?"

Rika narrowed her suddenly realizing the resemblance. "Well, it looks like him but… No way Kazu would join Track and Field. That's hard work and Kazu is…"

"Unmotivated?" Jeri tried to finish Rika's sentence.

"I was going to say 'against work' but whatever."

A few seconds later, any questions pertaining to whether or not the arguer really was Kazu or not were immediately put to rest when a certain mechanical Digimon approached his partner and began trying to diffuse the situation… It wasn't working.

"Hey Kazu!" Jeri shouted, earning a hard glance from Rika. "Over here." She waved getting the boys attention easily. He dropped some change on the counter and ran over. Jeri giggled sweetly. "Neat outfit."

"Eh? Oh yeah this. Tch, I always thought these things were optional in the… running thing."

"So you _did _join then. That…doesn't really sound like you."

Kazu shrugged in response. "Well, Akira neglected to tell me we had to run on weekends when he convinced me to join… Or that we had to run so far… or that we had to run at all."

_Wouldn't ya kinda figure that out from the fact that it's a tack and field class._

"But anyways, what brings you two here?"

"Nothing important." Rika responded frankly.

"We're going shopping. Want to come with us?" The girl asked, again, causing Rika to frown at her. "What? We could use a man's opinion."

"Since when does Kazu count as a man?"

"Let's see. I can go home where I have food and pop and beat the tar out of Kenta at Digimon some more… or I can sit around bored out of my mind while listening to a couple girls ask me if they look fat in this…"

"KAZU!" A loud and somewhat familiar voice rang out over the crowd although there were too many people blocking the person it was actually coming from. "I swear when I get my hands on you"

"Isn't that… Ayaka?"

Immediately Kazu rushed past the two girls grabbing them both by the hand and B-lining towards the mall entrance. "Wellladieswhatareyouwaitingforlet'sgetmovingGuardromonthrowheroffmytrail."

"Yes sir."

Rika glanced over. "Sacrificing your Digimon to save yourself?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Guardromon will be fine. I'm the one she wants to kill right now."

"Ever heard of guilty by association?" The girl responded.

"Pfft. Guardromon's built like a tank, he's got an even shot."

"If you say so."

Inside it was just as busy as it was outside, which, to Kazu, was a blessing since it would be easier to hide from Ayaka. Unfortunately it worked both ways. The visor boy couldn't tell if Ayaka was able to get past Guardromon or not. Sure, Guardromon was stronger, but Ayaka made up the difference in determination and… well… intelligence. There was also a skylight, making everything exceptionally bright in the way that artificial light couldn't compete with, but Kazu didn't care about any of that. The boy sighed as he turned to his friends.

"Alright, which store do we head into first?" Kazu asked, nervous to get out of sight of his possible stalker.

On a dime Rika and Jeri both turned and pointed in opposite directions "That one."

Kazu paused "…Riiight, well lemme know when you two figure it out."

Jeri just giggled. "Silly Kazu. There no reason we can't go to both."

The visor boy just groaned. "I'm being punished for something I just know it."

"Your more than welcome to leave." Rika snapped, instantly getting the boys attention. "This day is going to be hard enough without listening to you gripe every two seconds. If this is so unpleasant than I'm sure your girlfriend is waiting for you outside."

"Dude, that's not funny, not even joking." Kazu responded causing Jeri to giggle. "Not even pretending to joke about a hypothetical sit… and I lost myself."

At this point Kazu finally decided to check out where they were going. First Jeri's store, with a bright technicolor flowery sign that made Kazu's eyes hurt just by looking at it. Inside was a moderately lit room with all girls clothes, mainly dresses, skirts, sweaters, you know, basic girlish clothes. The one Rika pointed was a little more... unique would probably be the best word for it. It was a store that sold punk clothes. It even had bars on the windows to make it look like a jail.

"Heh heh." Kazu chuckled to himself. "I think I've been banned from both those stores."

"Even the one I picked?" Jeri asked, arching a brow.

"Yep."

"Do we even want to know?"

"Sure, it happened a long time ago. Me, Takato, Kenta, and our parents were shopping. I was being a major pain because, well, you know, boredom. Anyways our parents left us alone, told us to stay put and went to finish the shopping on their own. I think I had left the store in under a minute. Takato and Kenta followed me because they were worried."

"I should've known you would be the cause of this."

The visor boy shrugged helplessly. "Yeah well, Takato was the one that came up with the game where we pick what each other should wear. Kind of like Halloween. Well anyway we had fun for a while, I was a suit, Kenta was a Mexican, Takato was rich preppy, then Takato decided I should try on a shirt that said school is cool. I got him back by ganging up with Kenta and putting him in a dress."

"…"

"I remember getting his hands through the sleeves was especially difficult. Ahhh, good times." Kazu finished dreamily.

"Again, I'll never understand how you two managed to stay friends." Renamon announced, phasing into view behind the lad.

"Me neither…" Kazu admitted. "But, well, I'm glad we did."

Suddenly Jeri clasped her hands together. "Perfect! It's a great idea."

"Eh?" Kazu and Rika both turned to the sock-puppet girl, confused.

"You can pick what I'll try on, and I'll pick what you try on. And don't worry I know you don't like dresses."

Rika paused for a moment of silence, considering the idea. "…No thanks. I just wanna get out of here. No offence, but I'm not a huge fan of malls."

Jeri nodded understandingly. "It's alright. I understand."

Kazu folded his arms. _Damn, that could've been interesting._

"It's alright if you're nervous Rika." The brown haired girl added quickly before she turned towards the store that she had picked.

Rika arched a brow. "Nervous?"

The former Tamer grinned wickedly. "Oh! Sorry. Would you prefer the term… scared?"

Before anyone could even blink Rika had gotten a hold of Jeri's hand and was practically dragging her towards the punk store. "Let's go cup-cake."

Kazu and Renamon exchanged glances. "The girl's got skills." Kazu smirked.

"Yes… what about you. If you wanted to escape, now would be a good time."

"Nah, I doubt Ayaka's given up on looking for me, besides, I have to wait for Guardromon. So I guess I'll hang around for now."

Renamon nodded, phasing out of view. Kazu was about to follow, ignoring the numerous strange glances he was receiving for hanging out with a Digimon and started off toward the store, but stop when something caught his eye. No Ayaka hadn't found him… Well, not yet anyway. It was a vending machine full of disposable cameras, and it just so happened that Kazu had some extra change on him.

"…Heh, this should be good."

"Grrrr. This stupid thing. I swear I'm going to burn this whole place down one day."

"Calm down Tally." Riley reprimanded, turning in her seat to her younger co-worker.

"No, I'm serious, I'll do it."

"Do what?" A man's voice sound from the entrance to the dome shaped room. Talley froze instantly as she fiddled with her visor, pushing them over her head. They weren't much help anyway at the moment.

"Ah, ummm…"

"Sorry sir. We still haven't had much luck in repairing the system. All the software just keeps getting worse."

"I left you alone for an hour, I was hoping things would get better."

"And I was hoping for a raise last month." Talley muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Eeep! Nothing sir." Talley jumped a little. She didn't even have to look at her boss to know he was staring at her with those usual jet black shades. The subtle sound of a lighter flicking open and closed hinted at his frustration. Finally the man sighed.

"It's alright. We've been up all night, anyone want to get something to eat?" Yamaki reached into his pocket and pulled out a two thousand yen bill. Again, Talley was reminded of that raise she wanted so badly.

"I'll go!" The blond haired girl was already climbing out of her seat.

"Excellent. There's a small place just across the street. I'll have the chicken curry."

Riley smirked. "You just wanted someone to run that errand for you, didn't you."

"…Nothing for Riley."

"Hey!"

"Yes sir." The younger programmer gloated.

Riley smiled as her friend ran out of the room. It must be nice to have that much energy. "So, how were things at Rika's place."

"I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. Apparently Digimon aren't the only thing that can Biomerge now."

"Pardon?"

"There's a digital entity with the same face, voice, and memories of Takato when he was six years old."

"Great…" Riley rested her head in her palm. "…The first gogglehead almost destroyed everything."

"Problems dear? Maybe you should be working for me instead."

Riley glanced down at the new arrival and immediately held in the urge to gag at the sight a reasonably handsome young man in a chocolate brown suit. Mr. Fujiyama, a government administrator in charge of a variety of things including funding for Hypnos. He was given the job shortly after the D-Reaper incident. Why they gave him the job, though, was beyond anyone's guess. He hated Digimon, and everyone associated with them. He had Back hair, and the same shades as Yamaki.

Never far from her boss, was Mr. Fujiyama's secretary, the well-proportioned Ms. Shouryu. A young woman with deep black hair matching her boss's. She wore a red hued glasses styled black suit with a skirt that went down to her knees and a gold colored blouse tucked in underneath. She was also holding a clipboard.

"Long time no see, Riley." The woman smiled in a way that you couldn't actually tell if she was actually being polite or snide. Riley's only response however, was a quick flip of the middle finger.

"So good to see you doing… well… So glad to see you." Mr. Fujiyama grinned wider than any human should. "Tell me, Did your other pet finally realize she wasn't good for anything and quit."

"Talley's doing fine. Although you might not be, last I heard you were being investigated for embezzling money."

"A publicity stunt staged by one of my jealous colleagues no doubt."

Yamaki adjusted his shades. "I'm sure. So what brings you here? I thought you hated this place. Since, we… oh how did you put it… 'Help the filth' after all."

"True, but I keep my professional and my personal life separate. This is a performance review."

"Review? Alright, I'll bite. Why are we being reviewed?"

Mr. Fujiyama smiled. "Oh no reason. I submitted a proposal last week that Hypnos be subject to annual reviews to confirm, among other things, it's effectiveness against the Digimon threat."

"Not all Digimon are a threat." Yamaki replied sternly as the entrance door slid open once more revealing Talley. The blond immediately stopped in her tracks upon seeing Mr. Fuji and his assistant. Nothing good ever happened when those two were there.

"So you say." The man took a look around, immediately noticing all the black monitors and opened up panels. "My my, I didn't come on maintenance day, did I?"

"Hmph, shows what you know. Everything's been knocked out by a massive Digital Field and we've been repairing everything."

"Talley!"

"Interesting. Everything knocked out by a weekly occurrence, be sure to write that down Ms. Shouryu. And be sure to add the lax security, food in the control room, and everyone seems to be on break."

"Yes sir."

"Good, now shall we continue our tour."

Yamaki waited until the two were out of sight before turning to Riley, to Talley, then back to Riley. "We have a problem."

The blond operator tilted her head. "What's going on sir?"

"Mr. Fujiyama is reviewing us when we're at our lowest point. And he's not a complete moron. He'll use what he finds to try and sink the entire Hypnos project."

"What!" Talley cried out. "But why-"

"He hates Digimon. And his secretary is no slouch either. She almost as good a programmer as the two of you." The blond man informed calmly. "We have to get the system back up, now."

Riley gritted her teeth as she muttered something under her breath. "…Bitch..."

Kazu rolled over on the two cream colored chairs he was using as a resting place and promptly fell off both. His eyes were already getting heavy again, which meant that any second now Jeri would be calling him over for his opinion on there outfits, not that really had one. So far they all looked the same. A different colored ribbon or dress or shirt or whatever. Although to be honest they were taking a little longer this time, which to Kazu was a good thing. Maybe now he could get a little shut eye. Waking up early to go to track practice was rough, and on a weekend no less. It wasn't worth it.

_Then again that's why I ran off isn't it. Tch, if only Ayaka didn't follow me. _Kazu frowned, shifting uncomfortably in his spot._ Why should she care if I quit the stupid club or not. It's not as if I have to stay there to hold her hand. She got accepted, she should be happy with that She should..._

"Kazuuuu Come on! We're ready." Jeri voice rang out. Kazu breathe deeply as he sat up. He was almost glad for the intrusion into his thoughts.

"_Finally, took them long enough."_

"Jeri? Rika? Where are you guys?"

"We're right in front of you, silly."

As Kazu turned straight ahead, his mouth dropped. Sure he saw the two girls in front of him, but they looked so… different he barely recognized them. For starters the normally modestly dressed Jeri was now decked out in, among other things, a piece of black leather that roughly qualified as a skirt held in place by a studded black belt and a spiked collar. She also now had on a black tank top with a broken up skull on it. To finish off the ensemble she also wore black leather boots and bikers gloves… Takato would give up his allowance for the next year for this… heck maybe even Henry would.

In a steep contrast Rika stood still with her arms folded and with her head turned to the side. She was completely unwilling to make eye contact with Kazu, and in a getup such as the one she was wearing, who could blame her. For starters her hair was now let down and held back by a white head piece with a purple jewel of something or other in the middle. That was accompanied by a white ribbon around her neck, again with another purple jewel that highlighted her eyes perfectly. The rest of her outfit was also white. Actually it almost looked like a wedding dress with no shoulder straps or sleeves. It was tight around the chest and stomach but began to flow out around the waist all the way to her knee. She was wearing white gloves that went all the way up to her shoulders and knee-high socks frilled at the top and with matching sandals. Every piece of it was embroidered with leafy designs and obviously made to go together.

"This sucks." Rika stated.

Kazu was speechless.

"So? How do we look?" Jeri did a little spin on one foot, showing of her new gear.

"Well…" Kazu started, but he was at a loss for words.

Rika could gauge the visor boy's reaction by the sound of his voice. "That's it, I'm out of here."

"H-hang on. I didn't mean to sound insulting. It's just… Never in a million years did I think I would ever soo you in a dress... In fact, I think I should get a picture."

Kazu grinned quickly as Rika did a double take. It was bad enough for Kazu to see her like that, but he took that picture he could show it to the others, namely Ryo. No way Rika was going to let that happened.

"Alright, Kazu, hand over the camera." Rika stuck out her hand.

"Mmmmno."

"Kazu" The pony tailed girl reiterated, a little firmer this time. "The camera."

"Look, if you want it so bad, you should be able to get it away from me right?" The brown haired boy replied smirking. Little did he know someone was about to wipe that smirk off his face.

"That can be arranged." The girl began advancing on Kazu's position.

"Kazu, if you manage to escape, can I have two eight by tens."

"Eeep." As soon as Kazu stepped back, the chase was on.

And Rika, even with the overdone dress slowing her down, was fast. Still, Kazu was able to keep ahead of her by jumping over benches and using people as obstacles.

"Heh. Watcha gonna do now?"

"Renamon."

_Oh right… forgot about her._

The next thing the boy felt was a strong quite paw on his shoulder with a grip like an iron vice. Kazu glanced over his shoulder to meet Renamon's stare. Sounds pretty bad for Kazu, huh? Well, it gets worse. You see, Kazu may blend into a crowd, but Renamon doesn't. Ayaka finally located her fellow runner.

"Found you ya little twerp!"

_Dammit!_

Kazu's neck slowly craned around only to be slapped backwards. The thought 'I'm screwed' quickly flashed across Kazu's mind, at least, until something else caught the pig-tailed girl's attention. She tilted her head slightly to see around Kazu's

"Jeri…? Rika?"

"…"

"Hi Ayaka." Jeri waved to her friend energetically.

Kazu was practically ran over as Ayaka dashed towards Jeri and grabbed the sock puppet girl by the shoulders. "Oh my gosh! What has Kazu done to you?"

"Why's it always gotta be my fault!" The visor boy asked loudly.

"Law of averages!" The girl shouted back.

Kazu shrunk back a little and started uttering to himself. "Tch. Someone has to keep things interesting."

"Actually it was my idea… well, part of it." Rika said calmly, avoiding eye contact.

"And I kind of like it." Jeri added with a smile, making Rika do a double take. "But anyways, what brings you here Ayaka, and how is Kazu doing in track."

"Eh? Oh! You mean he hasn't told you yet?

"Told us what?"

"He quit. Halfway through the first run he just stopped and said 'I'm going to get a hotdog, see you Monday."

"Tch, duh! Why would I wanna give up my weekend for a stupid club!"

"Now _that_ sounds like the Kazu I know." Rika stated.

"Ugh, just when I thought you were started to mature…" Ayaka started.

Visor boy, on the other hand, just shrugged. "Yeah, you should've known better, but anyway. Now you all know so… I'm going home. See you later."

"Kazu! Wait!" Ayaka hollered, taking a step forward.

"No way, I've already killed enough time here." The boy jogged ahead a bit just in case the girl tried to run him down again.

"…"

"Umm, Ayaka, are you okay?"

"…Yeah. I mean, there's nothing I can do, right? It's his life, why should I care if he wants to waste it. It's his choice."

"That's true-"

"Rika!" Jeri turned on her friend. The female Tamer, however, was as cool as ever.

"-You didn't let me finish. While that is true, sometimes people make incredibly stupid choices. When they do, it's up to there friends to set them straight… Give me five minutes with him."

"Umm, I think maybe I better do it." Jeri offered hesitantly. Rika could be pretty scary sometimes.

"Alright, but you only have five minutes."

* * *

"**Masterful, who are these two monsters that we are fighting."**

"**I heard them call each other, Gallantmon is the knight and Beelzemon is the gunner. Do you think we might lose."**

"**I am a samurai, the idea of losing is like a plague to my thoughts."**

"**Good for you, although that doesn't help me much. I'm calling that woman, Gallantmon may be off limits but I wanna know the Black Angel is game."**

"**An excellent idea, just don't let you're guard down."**

"…**Got it. Take out the gunner first, we don't have to hold back with him."**

"**Very well but remember our orders."**

"**Of course... We will destroy the group heads though soon, won't we?"**

"**Hmph, this is why he is the boss. We will most definitely wipe them out, but think of how much more it will mean if we get the humans to do it for us. After that, all we have to do is cut the power and everything will be gone…"**

…**Our dream… will be realized."

* * *

**

"Hey Kazu, wait up."

"Eh, Jeri?"

The brown-haired girl nodded as she jogged up to her friend who was now in the middle of the mall. Seemingly forgetting about the outfit she had. A few passersby turned their heads, none too obviously. Kazu scowled a bit but hid it from Jeri by turning around as she slowed to a walk. He didn't want her to think he was making that face at her.

_Better not stare **too** hard._

"What's going on?" Jeri asked, placing her hands on her hips. Kazu shrugged.

"…? I'm… not sure I follow."

"Why did you quit the track team? You haven't even been on for one day."

"So you're suggesting I should let this thing annoy me for a week and then quit… Nah, think I'll do it now and get it over with."

"You know I didn't mean that. I'm just worried about you."

"What she means to say is 'Did you just wake up this morning and decide your time was better spent trying to figure out where the mold behind your refrigerator comes from?'" Rika said approaching the two. She had put on a white veil. It sorta completed the wedding picture but at least no one new would recognize her. Again, more passing glances from the people around them.

_Geez, at least don't be so obvious about it._

"No, I woke up this morning and walked into the girl's bathroom because I was too tired to recognize the sign… Man was that an unpleasant sight."

"I _heard _that!"

"Sorry, Yaka." Kazu called back "…But that's besides the point. Look, I don't wanna do it so you can't make me." The brunette folded his arms and shifted his weight to one foot. He wasn't budging on this.

"Kazu. Let me make this clear to you." Rika started speaking slowly, cracking her fist to increase the intimidation factor. With that net covering her eyes it was almost horror novel material if weren't for the stupid dress. "One way or another, you're running back to school. At least if you go of your own will you can pace yourself."

_Crap..._

"Alright, alright. I'm going."

"Good." Rika stated. "And I'll have Renamon check on you so you better not try to run away."

_Double crap…_

Kazu sighed as he started towards the exit. He'd have to make sure he found out what kept Guardromon. And maybe he could get the machine Digimon to give him a lift…. Naw, Renamon would probably rain on his parade. Another over dramatic sigh.

_Man… This is supposed to be a holiday. But I guess it can't be helped now. I'm suppose to be a Tamer, a hero, and yet I'm still getting bossed around like nothings changed…_

Little did visor boy notice three shadows above him, just visible through the skylight. All about the size of a human, and they were all coming straight down.

_I'd give anything to get out of this._ The boy thought bitterly. Meanwhile the shadow drew closer.

_Just…_ and closer

_About… _and closer

_Anything… _and there they were.

Kazu's reaction time was immediately despite already having one hand on the door as the roof of the mall was torn about with a crash so loud it seemed to blur reality. Beelzemon was falling to the ground unconscious and headfirst. And following closely behind, were Gallantmon, the exalted white knight, and some kind of humanoid dragon samurai with typical black samurai style armor rimmed with gold and a white mane. It looked like he was also supposed two have to twisted swords, but at the moment, only one was still usable. In fact, both Digimon seemed to be in bad condition sporting cuts and cracks of every sort, although Gallantmon's cuts were mostly superficial, and his opponent was leaking data like a sieve. Rika took out her Digivice.

* * *

**GaiOumon**

**Level:Mega**

**Attribute: Virus**

**Type: Demon Man**

**Attacks: Rinkazan, Gaia Reactor**

**Digimodify! Angemon Activate!

* * *

**

Rika and Renamon didn't miss a beat, the vulpine doing an impressive acrobatic jump and steal the Mega Virus from the air. The card Rika swiped allowed her to begin healing her friend immediately. Her landing was perfect too, except for that another Digimon appeared out of nowhere behind her. Even with her superior senses, it was too sudden to jump and dodge again, she'd have to try and block it. Oh, and as for the new Digimon, he had a white porcelain mask and a baggy black/dark blue jump suit. As well as some mean talons.

* * *

**NeoDevimon**

**Level: Ultimate**

**Attribute: Virus**

**Type Synthetic Fallen Angel**

**Attacks: Stun Claw, Guilt Claw, Deep Sorrow

* * *

**

"Stun Claw!"

Renamon lifted one hand while using the other to cradle Beelzemon, who looked like he was finally starting to waken. The attack sunk in regardless though. And while Renamon may have avoided taking a fatal blow the attack had an after effect that lived up to it's name.

"Ugh. Rika… I'm… I… can't move." Renamon went down to one knee.

The Ultimate lifted his 'hand' to finish the job. "Guilty-"

"Renamon!" Rika cried.

"Stop!" GaiOumon shouted. "That's on of the leaders, we are forbidden from killing them."

Now as much as the Tamers would've loved to analyze what their warrior enemy just said, they didn't have the opportunity. The Ultimate Virus wasn't listening and Beelzemon wasn't waking up in time. Rika's alias card wouldn't work as Renamon was already in her default form, and the clone card was equally useless because all NeoDevimon had to do was aim for the one holding the biker, So who you gonna call?

* * *

**Digimodify! Boost chip activate! Offence Plugin Activate! Win 60! Andromon Activate!

* * *

**

"Lightning Blade!"

How 'bout Kazu? NeoDevimon may not have listened to his comrade, but a blade of raw white power heading for his neck was significantly harder to ignore. The fallen Angel jumped out of the way, but his bid for survival was in vain.

"Shishkabob!"

NeoDevimon didn't even have the luxury of blinking before a silver lance ripped through his entire right side and got stuck in the wall behind him. The Virus was deleted before he even knew what hit him and Gallantmon breathed a sigh of relief as Rika made her way to her partner… Wait… did he get hit harder than he though he did or was Rika wearing a dress. No way, that couldn't be her, the style was completely off… but the size of the body... and Renamon... Another girl joined them from behind. It could've been Jeri… if it weren't for the outfit.

…_.Oooookay… Maybe mom was right. It is time to start going to bed earlier._

The person resembling Rika glanced up at the knight. "What are you looking over here for Gogglehead! GaiOumon's over there." Yep, definitely Rika.

"Rin-"

Gallantmon turned back just in time to block GaiOumon's gnarled sword with his shield, which had seemingly recovered from all the earlier scratches it took. It took a moment the Tamer to realize what had happened. That's when he noticed, the second sword forming in the Samurai's hand. And NeoDevimon's data wasn't floating around either. The Samurai had loaded his partner to recover from damage.

"KA-"

The second strike was definitely harder, hammering the knight off balance. Gallantmon stepped back breaking through the wall behind him by accident and crushing a small antique store. With his lance still stuck in the wall there was no way Gallantmon would be able to block the next hit.

"Darkness Claw!"

"ZA-"

Like a bat out of hell Beelzemon ripped through the wall of the store and tried to plow his fist into the side of GaiOumon's head with a vicious hook. The Dragon nimble ducked it and leapt back, but Beelzemon caught his foot with his tail, whipping the warrior around to the side. GaiOumon, crashed into the marble and skidded into a support column, tearing a good chunk of it out. But he got up showing very few signs of damage.

"Not bad, you guys almost did it." Beelzemon sneered over at his enemy.

Gallantmon was a little less pompous, and a lot more curious. "Whay are you attacking us? Did you come out of the Digital Field."

"..." GaiOumon shoved some of the rubble off himself. "…I see… You and your friends are doing quite well Takato, Guilmon."

The Tamers, exchanged glances. "Umm. I don't remember every using my original names in this body." Gallantmon stated.

Rika stepped forward. "What's going on? And give us a real answer."

"Rika I presume… Interesting. You don't quite fit the profile I was given." The Samurai murmured aloud, studying the white dress." No matter. At any rate I only know the names of the leaders. We did not count on someone like this Biker, or the Guardromon, showing up."

Kazu and glanced over at partner, smirking. "Yeah! Gimme a high five."

"Five what?"

The visor boy sweatdropped. "…Remind me to explain that on to you later."

Beelzemon just 'hmph'ed.

"Why did you attack us?" Jeri repeated Takato's question, peeking around from behind Ayaka. "What did we do to you?"

"Not my idea." The old warrior coughed. "…I think this is enough… for now." The Samurai glanced at the swords in his hands. "Give my regards to the boy."

"What is he talking about?" Ayaka asked, getting confused glances from her friends.

"You mean, the kid Takato?" Rika asked. GaiOumon nodded.

"Goobye... GAIA REACTOR!"

In the next instant, it was like all hell broke loose. GaiOumon stabbed himself, but instead of his body just dissipating it started to glow instead. Cracks appeared in his skin and armor letting steams of solid light pour out of him. The force of the energy was literally tearing the mall of it's foundation in a flood of raw power. Gallantmon and Beelzemon acted quickly getting in front of their friends and assuming a defensive pose.

"Quick, anyone got any idea on how to clear a whole store of people in about ten seconds?" Gallantmon shouted. The children and their Digimon glanced at each other. "…Yeah, that's what I figured. Everyone, run!"

"T-Takato." Jeri stammered. By now the energy was already starting to push Gallantmon back.

"Relax, I still got my shield, I'll be fine." The leader, adjusted his gaze to Rika. "Make sure Jeri's safe."

Rika nodded, with an undeterred look upon her face. "Got it, just make sure you don't overdo it."

Gallantmon forced a laugh. "When have I ever have done that."

"You wanna list, Pineapple head?" Beelzemon smirked

"Beelzemon, you should get out of here too."

The Demon lord sneered through the pain GaiOumon's light was causing him. "Shut up, someone has to keep an eye on you and keep you from doing something extremely stupid."

"Like this?"

"Yeah, a _lot _like this… Besides, I _still_ have a debt to repay."

"Beelze…mon…"

"Save the speech for when I'm… unconscious Pineapple head."

The light started getting blindingly bright as the charging sound got louder, cutting off Beelzemon's and Gallantmon's voices. After that, an explosion occurred that was seen as far away as Osaka… GaiOumon's mission was completed successfully, and yet the Tamers had yet to conceive of what that meant for them.

* * *

**Notes:**

**-Yes, I know the ending was rather ominous, but if your worried about a prophecy or a virus, or some crap like that taking center stage, don't I don't rely on those anymore and the only reason VS has one is because it's a sequel to PH which was done before I knew any better.**

**-This chapter has a little more action in it, which I personally don't find to be all that interesting. But Digimon is an action series, so it can't be helped.**

**-One thing I've been doing is bringing in OC's as stock character to expose sides of other chacters you wouldn't normally see. Ms. Asagi's ex is one, and no Mrs. Shoryu is another.**

**-This chapter was meant to help deal with two things. A: Kazu's slothlike personality, which I need to work on more, and some general Jeri/Rika bonding.**

**-In my own personal opinion, I found this chapter a little tedius. The next one should go better.

* * *

**

**Reviews:**

Erinyes Star – Heh, sorry, no Terriermon this chapter it was largely a Kazu chappy with a bit of Beelzemon/Gallantmon friendship at the end.

Alex Warlorn – Alright, I believe Henroid is a comment about how Henry is usually so calculated during a battle. Heh. Your right, Ai and Mako don't know much more than 'Impmon fought the bad guys. And even though this is in the future, the twins are still rather young. I'm not sure I want them to activate participate in any fights yet. Partly because I'm still having fun messing with Kazu. Thanks for the review.

Yume Takato – YumeTakato. Glad to hear it. I hope things with your fic goes well and thanks for the review.

Gogglehead – Heh, I realize not everyone will be fans of the Ryo/Rika thing, but I am trying to keep to hat was in the series. Besides, they are kinda cute together. Thanks for the review.

Wild Dude – Sorry for the long wait, I was doing some work on my other story. At any rate though, of course the Tamers will use their own Digimon in the tag tournament, except for Takato. It should be interesting since it puts a bit of a handicap on him. Thanks for the review.

Lord Destroyer – LOL. A lot of people seem to have the same idea about Imp/Terriermon torture. At the moment I have to no plan to put anything like that in. Then again, very little of this story is actually planned so you never know. Thanks for the review.

Firehedgehog – Ha Ha! That was good. You have a knack for those little bizarre imagination sequences. Thanks for the review.

Inuyasha Loves Sake – I dunno, how about how Rika snubbed Ryo several times such as when he returned to Tokyo after having disappeared for a while, and blushed repeatedly over the awkward things Takato said, including the time he asked her out on a date. You say it's obvious to you but I go by what happened in the show, and Rika obviously had strong feelings for Takato.

Kara – I… don't know. Sorry but I ave another cliffhanger for you. More mini Takato in the next chapter though, and Ryo, and Kazu, and Henry, and Impmon.

RockFox – Heh, tanks for the review. As for Renamon and Takato, I am trying to keep it as sort of a family relationship that might become like a more common friendship. If anyone out there thinks this might turn out to be a crossbreeding then forget it. I'm generally against that for the same reason I'm against Yaoi. I don't see it as natural or plausible. Mini takato's purpose will become more evident later.

Gerjomarty – Heh, why thank you kindly. I'm sorry about Ryo, I've tried to make him a little more confident than the other Tamers, but by the same token I'm positive there as some subject that can make even him lose his words. I'll work on that a bit more. As for more of the odd relationship development, Henry/Renamon didn't really catch my eye but I liked the idea of Kazu and Guilmon. They're both childish, but Guilmon would definitely be more of the good boy.

Me – Heh, sorry, I know I'm slow. Thanks for the review.

Peter Kim – Umm, sorry, Takato didn't Biomerge with Impmon, he did so with his own partner. I didn't bother putting in Beelzemon's warp Digivolution because… well… he doesn't say anything when he does that and really all I wanted was a nice catch phrase to end the chapter. Thanks for the review.

Orudios – A little harsher than I would've put it perhaps. Well, anyway, thanks for the review.

Omegadramon – Alright, I'm sorry but with Kingdom hearts two coming out so soon, some of things I had planned could change drastically. As well as I don't have any interest in that fic at the moment. I'll leave it up for when I get my inspiration back, but at the moment, it is on an indefinite hiatus. And I'm glad you saw Spirited away because of this fic. Anything done by Ghibli is awesome, but my favorite so far is Princess Mononoke.

Newbi – Thanks. I never give those two enough time together in my other fics, so I'm glad I got to set some time aside for them in this one.


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

After Thoughts – Chapter 7

* * *

Have you ever been partially asleep, just enough that you can actually see everything, but it doesn't register until you make the leap into full consciousness. When that does happen you know you've been where you are for at least a little while, but how you got there and what you were thinking just a few minutes ago remains a mystery to you. Well if you have then you know what Takato was feeling. 

"Mmm…mm? My room… Why am I here again? Let' see, the last thing I remember is GaiOumon's big bright attack, then light, then darkness… It's still pretty dark. What time is it?"

The brown haired Tamer pulled himself upright and glanced over to his drawers. It was late, almost midnight. Suddenly he noticed a few pounds of extra weight on his lap. Jeri slept soundly as she leaned over her best friend's bed. Her voice lightly sighed with every breathe, which caused Takato to smile.

_Cute… I guess she must've been worried about me._

Takato paused as he dwelt on that thought for a second. "Don't worry Jeri, I'm not going anywhere, except maybe to the fridge."

The boy chuckled to himself as he lifted up Jeri's head to escape downstairs. More snoring made him jump. It only took him a second to recognize it however, as Guilmon was also sleeping, curled up in the corner of the room with his tail shielding his head.

"Mmm… Takatmon Digivolve too… Breadmon." The saurian mumbled quietly to himself, making his Tamer sweatdrop.

"Gee, talk about a one track mind." The boy grinned again as he stepped out of his room.

Immediately on his right was his parent's room. The door wasn't closed all the way so Takato peeked through the crack. They were out cold. Heck if he didn't know any better the Tamer would swear his dad needed an ambulance the way he was spread out. But anyways, this was good. Now he knew he didn't have to worry about waking his parents since it was doubtful if even something like Vikaralamon could do the job.

The kitchen was kind of merged into the backroom behind the customer area. You only had to turn left once you got to the bottom of the stairs to reach it. The overhead on the oven was also the one light the Matsukis left on day or night so it was pretty easy to find. Takato opened the fridge quietly, only to find there wasn't a whole lot edible inside.

"What? But I thought dad went grocery shopping yesterday. Where did everything go?" Sighing, the gogglehead closed the door, getting a glance at something moving off the appliance's reflective surface. It was moving quick too.

"Metal Ball!"

The Tamer ducked and spun around just as a rock solid orb of steel slammed into the refrigerator.

"Shit, we missed. Must've been luck."

The brown haired boy's eye's widened as he came face to face with another boy in a orange hoody and black jean pants that blended in with the background. He looked a little older than Takato, maybe by a year or two. He had light blonde hair, which was mostly hidden by a two pronged black jesters hat with slanted eyes sewn loosely onto it. The band bit that went around the head had a red and white zig-zag pattern so it looked like the hat was actually trying to eat the boys head. His eyes were light blue and held one of the most apathetic expressions Takato had ever seen. Oddly enough, though, they looked kinda familiar. He also wore a horizontal stripped, shoulder high armband over his right arm. It was black and orange as was the one over his leg. Needless to say he had a very bizarre appearance, kinda looked like he didn't want to let Halloween go.

He had a partner as well. But it was mostly hidden by the shadows. The kid stepped forward holding a knife.

"Guess I'll just do it my way."

"Shoot. Guilmon HELP!"

* * *

Takato yelled as he got to his feet. Funny thing is though, he wasn't in the kitchen anymore. He was standing in the middle of class and everyone was staring at him. Kenta stifled a laugh behind him while Kazu, if anything he tried to make himself louder to make sure that Takato would hear him. The lead Tamer glanced around for a moment before he realized that he had fallen asleep in the room suddenly went beat red. Funny how your memories can change in a dream, isn't it. Now all sorts of memories were coming back to him. 

It had only been a couple days since the GaiOuMon attack. School was back in session, and Hypnos was up and running, although Riley had been suspended with pay. Apparently she had an issue with one of her superiors. The strange Digital Field had been oddly quiet the last few days and Takato only had minor injuries from the mall explosion. He spent the first day out cold in a hospital, but was well enough to go home the following day. Reconstruction was going well. Oh, and the scene with Jeri, that really happened, everything except being attack by the wonderland fruitcake.

"Uh, Takato. It'd probably be a good idea for you to sit down now." Ryo grinned. Further away Jeri and Ayaka were snickering.

"Uhhh, sorry." The gogglehead sat himself back down sheepishly as Ms. Asagi turned back to the board.

Ayaka sneered. "Don't be, I think that's the most I've seen Kazu pay attention all day."

"Hey, it's not my fault the teacher's about as boring as a curling tournament!" The visor boy shot back, causing Ms. Asagi to turn back once more.

Kenta leaned forward a little bit. "What's curling?"

"Oh it's basically this ice sport with these honking metal paperweights. Well actually, it's not really a sport but they have it in the Olympics anyway. Heck even you could do it."

"Umm, guys." Takato interrupted. The boys turned back to him only to see he was motioning towards the teacher.

"Honestly... If you still have so much to talk about I can only assume it means you have too much free time…" The brunette explained with her arms folded. "…So to solve that I'm giving you a little more homework on pages eighty one and two, and that includes the practice questions."

"Nooooooo!" Kazu screeched, before going limp on his desk.

Jeri giggled. "I think you killed him."

"Good." Ayaka cheered. "Maybe now he'll be quite for more than two seconds.

The teacher barely had time to turn back around before the bell went once more. The kids began stirring from their seats. Ms. Asagi put her hand to her head in a vexed manner.

"Alright class. You have your homework assignments." The teacher announced. Takato smirked remember he was free of such things for a weak. "And remember Takato, you still owe me Saturday's homework."

"What! But I thought… but you said-"

"I said you wouldn't have to do homework for the week. I never said you were excused from the assignments, and the week ended two days ago."

"..." The boy's face went pale as he just stared ahead morbidly.

Kazu just laughed as he swatted his friend on the back. "Ha ha! Dude, she got you good."

Kenta came up behind the boy on his other side. "I think I still have my notes if you want to use them."

Takato nodded, pulling a stack of books from his desk and stuffing them into his backpack. It didn't quite fit… but that wasn't going to stop this young man. He began trying to force everything in as hard as he could. " Grrrr…Thanks Kenta. That'd be… er… great."

"Takato." A sweet sounding voice called out. Jeri made her way over to her friend's desk. And judging by the look in her eyes she was upset about something. "I've been meaning to ask… have you seen Calumon?"

"Hmm? No, but he's probably just out playing somewhere. He'll turn up, he always does."

"…" Jeri lowered her gaze. "…Y-yeah… It's just. He's been gone for almost a week now. I thought he was out playing too at first, but he should've come back by now."

Kazu looked up and tilted his head tiredly. "Hmmm… I bet that new Digital field doesn't help either. Maybe he wandered in there and got lost."

Takato elbowed his friend in the side. "Kazu"

"What? At least I didn't say 'maybe he gotten eaten'. Cuz let's face we, we all know how friendly the wild ones are."

Kazu barely had time to finish his sentence before an eraser pegged him in the forehead. As he bent over to give it up, the loveable Ayaka kneed him in the ribs making him drop. Takato and Kenta both stepped back a little, but Jeri didn't move. She seemed so worried that it didn't look like anything could get her mind off Calumon.

"You idiot! You don't say that right in front of her. You wait till her back is turned like a normal person then discuss it." The pig-tailed girl screeched, making the Tamers sweatdrop. Kazu wasting no time in getting to his feet and starting an argument with her, which was rather stupid since he was wrong and he knew it.

"Ummm, Maybe we should step outside , where it's less noisy." Takato mentioned, guiding Jeri to door. Kenta hung back to keep an eye on Kazu.

Jeri shifted her gaze back to Takato as they left the room. "I was thinking… maybe Guilmon's seen him. Has he said anything to you?"

Takato shifted nervously a bit. Guilmon usually didn't do much except play around in a day but the boy always heard all about it during his visits. And Guilmon hadn't mentioned the cream puff at all. "Uhh, I haven't really asked him… I know! I'll check with him before I go home today, and if nothing turns up, I'll look around for him tomorrow." The boy paused as he began to blush. "And… uhh, if you want… You can join me?"

Jeri nodded as her smile returned. She always looked better when she was smiling. "Thanks Takato. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah it's a date! Er… I mean… it's not a date, uh wait, not that I'd mind or anything if it was, but it's not… Uhhh right?"

Jeri just tilted her head. "Boys are so weird. If you want to call it that then it's a date."

The boy's jaw suddenly dropped and his face went beat red as he slowed to a stop, trying to figure out if Jeri, the girl he had been pining for since around the time his digital adventures began, had really just said what he thought she did. The girl on the other hand, either didn't notice Takato's expression or didn't care. She giggled and kept walking ahead until she was out of sight, leaving the bewildered gogglehead staring out blankly on the front step of the school.

"Smooth Takato. Very smooth." Henry's voice said, seemingly out of nowhere. The half Chinese Tamer appeared leaning against the wall of the school and lifted his hand in a casual wave. "Hey 'Kato."

Ryo was with him as well grinning confidently as usual. "I agree. I guess girls really do go for the whole, 'boy next door' persona."

That made the brunette grin. "You guys… really think she meant it! Err, not that I'm into that sort of thing… Ummm, you aren't going to tell anyone… are you?

Ryo shrugged as he started walking ahead. "Nah, your secret is safe with me. As for the date, well it's not exactly dinner and a movie. All I can say for sure is she definitely seemed a heck of a lot happier after talking to you."

The gogglehead smiled weakly. "Thanks Ryo. What do you think Henry?"

The blue haired tamer sighed. "Well… this isn't exactly my expertise. But when you were in hospital, thanks to the GaiOumon attack, Jeri was easily affected more than the rest of us. Even after the doctor said you were going to be fine she wouldn't leave."

The legendary Tamer just smiled wider. "That's a good sign. Looks like my competition may be out of the game already."

Takato arched a brow, not quite understanding what he was referring too as Henry continued. "You think so? Look, don't quote me on this because I'm not entirely sure it's true. But it seems to me Jeri's feelings towards you are consistently being held back by her fears of losing you." The blue haired boy sighed. "I gotta admit, when I heard you used yourself as a living shield to block a Kamikaze attack I nearly dropped the phone."

Takato stopped walking again. "But… I had too do something. Besides, you know nothing bad is going to happen to me as long as I got you guys watching my back."

"Really? What do you want to bet Jeri thought that same about Leomon…"

There was an uneasy silence after that comment. Ryo didn't really understand what was happening so he kept quiet. After a few moments, Henry realized Takato didn't have anything to say back. Not surprising really, since he was affected deeply too when that happened.

_The difference is Takato's stronger than Jeri. He's healed and moved past it where as Jeri still struggles to cope sometimes… She's just had too much misery in her life I guess._

Henry paused as well to look back. "Look Takato. You have to do what you have to do. But it's only natural that we become worried if you get hurt. It's that feeling that keeps us together, keeps us strong. And for what it's worth, I would defiantly have done the same in your shoes."

The gogglehead's goofy smiled returned. "Thank Henry."

"Did you… just come up with that now?" Ryo questioned.

"Yeah, it actually came out a lot better than I thought it would." The blue-haired tamer admitted sheepishly.

"Hey guys!" Kazu called out from behind as he raced to catch up. "Did Jeri already go home? I gotta apologize."

"Kazu, apologizing?" Takato replied to himself. "I never even thought I'd ever even hear those two words in the same sentence."

"Small miracles…" Ryo chuckled.

"Awww man. Quit it. I just realized that what I said was a little over the top."

Kenta smirked jogging up behind his friend. "Yeah and the fact that Ayaka threatened to throw your desk out the window had nothing to do it!"

The visor boy sweatdropped. "I believe her too. She's insane."

"Sounds like you too were made for each other then." Kenta dug in, earning a glare out of his friend.

"Dude, I'm gonna be using _you_ as a desk pretty soon if you don't stop talking." Kazu growled. "Anyway, I really gotta talk to Jeri so I'll see you guys later. Oh and Takato, I hid a little present in your backpack. Same with Ryo. You guys should take a look when you get home." The boy waved before taking off and Takato and Kenta did the same.

"Present?"

The next stop the remainder of the group made was at Guilmon's hut. And just as Takato expected, the red saurian hadn't seen the puffy little In-Training at all. Kazu may have suggested the Digital Field non-seriously, but at this point it was worth considering that perhaps Calumon really did get kidnapped again.

"So, Jeri hasn't seen the little guy in almost a week?" Henry reiterated. "I don't like the way that sounds."

"Me neither." Takato replied. "That's why I'm bringing this up. I told Jeri I'd help her look tomorrow, but in all honesty I think that's about as useful as giving a fork to Guilmon."

"What's a fork?" The lovable Rookie asked, tilting his head.

"It the cutlery that looks almost like a claw." Ryo explained.

"Oh… I know about claws but… What's cutlery?"

The Legendary Tamer smiled to himself. "I'll explain it too you later."

"Back to our topic." Henry butted in. "So it sounds like you want us to help…"

"Yeah."

"…But…" Henry continued. "It sounds like you think Calumon is in the Digital Field…"

"Yeah!"

"…But Yamaki told us to stay away from there so you aren't sure if we can actually do anything."

"Exactly! Man your good at this."

Henry places two fingers under his chin. "Hmmm, we might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves… Do we actually know if Calumon is in the Digital Field? Maybe Renamon's seen him."

Ryo glanced over. "You got a point Henry. We should stop her place and ask her. But assuming the worst, my big issue is if Calumon is in the Digital Field, how the heck are we supposed to find him?"

"Maybe we'll get lucky and end up in the middle of somewhere really flat." Takato suggested, earning a pair of serious looks from the other Tamers, even Kenta in fact. "…Well, you never know with that place."

"As for Yamaki… I got the impression he wanted us to stay out to avoid needless risks. I'm sure he'll understand our situation." Henry stated. "Either way we should contact him as soon as possible. Who knows, maybe Calumon's even shown up on his sensors recently."

"I'll go see Wildcat." Ryo grinned wickedly. "If I hurry, maybe I can see her in her school uniform."

"Actually Ryo… Could you… handle the Digital Field for me?"

"Huh?" The lean brunette folded his arms. "How come?"

"Well…" Henry scratched his head. "It's not that I don't have faith in Takato… It's just, he _just_ got back to school. And besides you're, better with the cards so you're more versatile."

"No Henry, it's all right. Guilmon and I are good to go." The boy smiled.

"Uh-huh!" The dinosaur gave himself a little cheer.

The Legendary Tamer frowned as he put his hands behind his head. "Actually Takato… Henry might be right about this one. Ever time Monodramon Digivolves… Well, Cyberdramon has been itching to go down there and it's been a real pain trying to stop him. This might just be the excuse I needed. Of course, I'll let you make the final decision."

"You… don't want to see Rika?"

"What!" The card champ practically sprung forward. "Of course I do! But… being a Tamer isn't always fun and games. You should know that by now."

"Yeah." The mop-haired boy nodded. "Alright, then Kenta gets to talk to Rika."

"Not even if you dragged me." The smaller child retorted, visibly afraid.

Ryo shook his head. "Nah, I got a better idea. I think Impmon is still nursing his wounds. How would you like to visit him for us, Kenta?"

"How is that any better?"

Ryo shrugged. "Okay, I guess it isn't really. I just thought that, you know, if you did this favor for me then I'd kinda be indebted to you... I'd owe you one."

"…"

Well, you could barely hold Kenta back from rushing the gates to Guilmon's shack. He was moving so fast in fact he left a smoke trial. Not only was he apparently doing a 'huge' favor for Ryo, but rubbing Kazu's face in it the next day was going to be sweat. And as the only one left, Takato went along his was shortly thereafter to see Rika. Ryo was heading for the gate as well when Henry came up beside him and gave him a nudge.

"Honestly Ryo, I'm impressed."

"…?" The Legendary Tamer gave Henry an odd glance.

Henry just smiled. "You always talk about being a Tamer as something that just sort of happened to you, like you couldn't care less about it sometimes. Today was the first time I heard you talk about it like it was a responsibility."

"Oh, that." Ryo replied. "It's no big deal. When you've been a Tamer as long as I have, you do start to care less about when a Gigadramon starts taking pot shots at your head. But don't think for a second I don't know what I've gotten myself into. Heck, even with the D-Reaper I still probably know better than you the responsibility that comes with a partner."

Henry arched a brow. "You think so? Well, anyway, if you let others see that, you might be better respected. Even with Rika."

"Hmmm… Sounds like a hassle. Then again, for Rika it might be worth it."

Henry nodded. "And… Thanks for backing me up with Takato."

Again, Ryo answered casually. "Yeah, about that. Cyberdramon really does want to go down there, but I think our fearless leader would've been fine."

"…Huh?"

"Look, he may be your friend but I don't think he needs you babying him. He's gotta be one of the strongest kids I've ever met. And the more I find out about him, the stronger he seems."

"Ryo…" Henry echoed softly. "You… might be right."

"Then again, I might be wrong. Alright, this is my turn. Take care Henry and I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe if I finish early we can meet up to do our homework together."

Meanwhile, at Rika's house. The infamous redhead had just arrived home a few minutes ago and was thankful to get out of the cold wind. Not that the weather was particularly bad though, just starchy skirts didn't offer much in the way of protection.

Rika B-lined for her room to get changed. She could hear her grandmother in the living room chatting happily and would join her in a moment. Renamon phased into view as well, and glanced over to her Tamer.

"Evening Rika. How was your day?"

"The usual." The girl responded. "A waste of six hours of my life. Yours?"

"Nothing new as far as the Digital Field or any wild ones." The vulpine Digimon paused. "But I thought you might like to know Takato was able to attend school today. It seems he is doing much better, as does his partner."

The female grinned as she finished getting changed and making sure her hair was still held back. "Not surprising. Those two are like blow up clowns, you hit'em and they bounce back up. You pay them a visit yet?"

"Not yet. I thought we might see them together. After all, when they were in the hospital you didn't even send a card."

Rika frowned. "Yeah well, nothing says 'Best Wishes' like a thirty yen piece of cardboard." The girl glanced back as she slid the door to her room open. "I'll drop by his place later to check up on him. But I don't think needs me to hold his hand every time he does something incredibly stupid like jump in the middle of an explosion…" The girl sighed as she pictured the event in her head "…Stupid Gogglehead."

_Besides, he has Jeri for that._

Renamon turned away slightly as she pondered Rika's comment for a moment. "…You may be right about that."

Rika breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped down the hallway. Finally she could relax for a few minutes… or at least that what she thought. The moment she entered the living room the Pre-Tamer hopped off his chair and tackled her legs. He was wearing some bizarre new clothes that Rumiko had picked up. One bonus about being a model: freebies on clothes of all kinds. A lesser child may have fallen over, but Rika just stepped back to regain her balance.

"Hi big sis. Did you have fun at school?"

"Of course not." The girl replied casually before pushing the young man off of her a bit. "What about you? Did you have fun with Grandma?"

Takato nodded goofily before grabbing the girl's hand and dragging over to the table to a bunch of pictures. Most of them were just scribbles on paper, but there were one or two doodles that caught her eye, as well as portrait quality picture of herself from the waist up done in blue pencil crayon.

"Wow…" Rika mouthed to herself.

"Yeah, granny did that one." Takato explained, with just a hint of envy in his voice. "She's really good."

"How come you never told me you were an artist?"

Seiko smiled warmly as she picked her cup of tea of the table and held it too her chest. "You remember what your mother told you about being like you when she was young?"

Rika nodded.

"Well. Back then there was only so much to do in a day. Rumiko took care of herself, your grandfather was off fighting in the war, and the house wasn't very big… I needed something to do to fill up the gaps of boredom in my life."

"Couldn't you just gossip with the other women."

"I could… but they weren't quite the brightest bulbs on the tree. I found working with my hands to be much more satisfying. Sewing, drawing, cooking… I became quite self sufficient." The older woman trailed off nostalgically as she took a sip from her cup. "Oh dear… It's gotten cold."

Rika smiled. "Wow, so maybe I got it from you then?"

"Yes, I suppose you did, although your mother was no slouch either. More feminine perhaps, but when she was your age most the boys in our neighborhood were afraid of her."

"Mom?" Rika arched a brow. "I've never heard you mention that before."

"Well, it's nice to talk about now. But back then it wasn't so funny. Our family was threatening to disown her if she didn't straighten out her attitude."

"That ought to do it." Rika grinned.

Seiko just smiled to herself. "You wish. That's about the time she moved in with her father, just to spite us. But this isn't really something I want to talk about right now. What I did want to mention is that it looks like Takato could use some new clothes, real ones this time instead of the clown outfits your mother picks up. Would you mind taking him to the mall?"

Rika sweatdropped as she pointed to herself, disbelievingly. "Eh? Me?" The girl's grandmother nodded quietly. "I'm… not so sure that's a good idea. I'm not that good with kids, I don't like shopping, and I've already made Takato cry about ten times since he got here already."

"No I didn't!" The six year old shouted. "It was only five times."

"Close enough." Rika folded her arms. "Why can't you do it."

"Please dear, I'm going to have to start dinner in shortly. So unless you can cook…"

"Alright, I got it." The red-head sighed.

"If you're really worried about it, you could invite one of your friends to go with you. No need for you to suffer by yourself."

_Hmmm. Not a bad idea_. Rika thought, glancing towards the phone. _Well, Renamon suggested I give Takato a call, why not now. Besides, who knows his tastes better than himself._

As the girl got up to dial the number she had barely punched in the first digit before someone rapped on the door. Sighing, Rika palmed the device and went to answer it. The young one raced past her and began jamming his feet into his shoes as the female Tamer slid the door.

"Hi Rika." Takato beamed happily as he stood in doorway, completely oblivious to why his younger self was putting his shoes on. "Do you mind if I come in?"

Rika just glanced at him blankly before turning down to the phone in her hand. "Impressive…"

"Huh?"

Rika nodded as she stepped back to grab her own shoes. "You're actually on time for once, Gogglehead."

"I am?"

The girl nodded again. "Yeah. Unfortunately I need to head out right now. But you can tag along if you want. I doubt your paying me a visit was a just a social call."

"Uh- Yeah. I know I should do that more often but…" The gogglehead trailed off. "Err, anyway, sounds like a plan. So… where are we going?"

Rika smirked. "The mall, apparently you need some new clothes."

"Wha…?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the ender ground tunnel below Shinjuku, Ryo casually strolled up to a white empty space and whistled, clearly impressed. Monodramon seemed to echo his thoughts as he glanced around the unfamiliar area. 

"Wow! Did a Digimon fight here recently?"

Ryo followed his partners gaze to a spatter of small holes engraved into the sides of the tunnel. There was also a series of small pieces of metal nearby. The boy walked over and picked one up. "What the?" The Tamer arched a brow. "This isn't a Digimon attack, these are bullet holes. Was the army around here, I wonder?"

Ryo studied the metal fragment for a moment. The one he was holding was crushed, but there were a few still in reasonably good condition. They were long and narrow, all the same type. Probably armor piercing, but Mr. Akiyama wasn't really an expert on guns.

"Hey Ryo, check this one out."

Doing as his partner asked, Ryo walked over to where his partner was and took a look a large steel orb. Upon further examination there was a good two or three more embedded into the walls. Now this was confusing. The smaller ammunition looked mid-nineteenth century, but a cannon ball? And furthermore, weren't cannonballs supposed to be iron. This one was too shiny. It had to be steal or silver or something.

"I don't really get it." Ryo mumbled. "But Yamaki is going to want to hear about this."

Monodramon blinked happily at his partner. "Are we hading back now, then?"

"Heh. Since when have I ever done things halfway. We're heading into the Digital Field. Even if we can't find Calumon we can at least figure out what it looks like now."

Smiling, Ryo stepped into the Digital Field. The next thing he knew, he was in what looked like a country town, standing in the middle of an old dirt road. There weren't any cell phones to speak of, and most of the adults passing by were wearing old fashioned robes or rags. Of course, there was the odd business man. There was also a girl sitting against one of the houses. Quite lovely, despite her poor state.

She had shoulder length, matted, auburn hair. And wore a pink Kimono which was actually beginning to turn brown because of how dirty it had become. Her face was also smudged with dirt. She looked homeless. Her eyes were closed and she was a little too thin, like she missed one to many meals. Honestly, she looked half dead, but no one was bothering to help.

"Geez." Ryo sighed. "She's not even real, but it stills feels like I should do something. Ah! Excuse me!"

Turning on a dime the Legendary Tamer ran up to the first person he saw. Another young girl in a school uniform, but it didn't look anything like Rika's. It had… pants… The boy stared at it for a moment before the girl grabbed him by the hair and force him to look her in the eyes.

"Pardon me young man. But I'm in a hurry. And It's rude to stare, you know."

"Eh, sorry." The Tamer smiled in spite of himself. "I was actually just wondering, do you have any food I can have?"

The girl frowned. "You're an odd one. Do you always go up to people you don't know and beg for provisions."

"Only if I don't have any on me, and I'd hardly call this begging."

"Fine, if you insist. But you're going to hard time getting anything with that attitude. In case you've forgotten we're losing."

"Huh?"

Ryo didn't have time to press the question as an alarm sounded, startling the girl and causing her to run full throttle in the direction she originally intended. Ryo covered his ears as the sound was really irritating. But, it was a little familiar as if he'd heard before in a movie or a TV show. That's when it clicked. The boy suddenly figured out where he was, but he still needed to confirm it. Without wasting another second he began scaling the building next to him and, with a little aid from Monodramon, reached the top in a few seconds. Sadly his suspicions were confirmed though. His mouth hung open as he took in the dozens of grouped black shadows piercing through the mid-day haze.

"What're those, some kind of Digimon? They look pretty big." Monodramon smiled.

Ryo shook his head, still in awe at the sight in front of him. He looked…like he wasn't exactly sure what to do for once. "Sorry Monodramon… but those are far worse than any Digimon…"

Ryo took out his Digivice wondering he should attack or not. There were a few things he needed to consider, but he didn't have the time… Already the shadow of the enemy had blocked off the sun. It would only be a few seconds before the attack began. The Tamer clenched first as he glanced over his should to the girl still leaning up against the house he was standing on. She was probably so exhausted she didn't even notice the buzzer blasting in her ear.

"…They're… human…"

* * *

Preview

* * *

Digital or not, Ryo isn't sure what to do when he finds he may have to fighttheAmerican bombers and jets.Will he stand tall and take the path of a true warrior, or will he be smart enough to realize what a completely useless battle it truely is...

Meanwhile, in the Real World Riley's none to happy about losing her job. And Takato get's to meet a few of Rika's 'Charming' classmates at the mall.

AN: Replies to reviews will go up on my profile within a few days. This is to comply with the new rules set forth by Have a nice day.


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

After Thoughts – Chapter 8

* * *

Rika sat back and glanced at her watch underneath her wristband. 4:02… it had been about an hour since school ended and the girl got her new directive to take young Takato clothes shopping. The closest mall had been demolished, so it took a little longer to get here than normal. To her, however, it was just another in a long list of annoyances lately. Nothing really went wrong, but nothing seemed to be going right either. 

Starting in chronological order was the Parasimon incident where Takato asked her out. It seemed he had forgotten all about, not that she cared very much. She was just fine with having the gogglehead as a close friend and it made things much easier to deal with this way. Nothing went wrong, but nothing went right.

Follow that up with the fact that Ryo had moved into her district and a bizarre new Digital Field had appeared, almost on the same day no less. Ryo was a good friend too, but it could easily be said that he was only fun to deal with in small doses. Then of course, you have the problems at Hypnos, which didn't directly concern her, since she was used to operating without them, and a chibi-version of one of her friends popping out of nowhere that she now had to take care of.

The most aggravating part of all this, however, was the fact that through it all she hadn't managed to get one good fight in. Not even a few courtesy whacks to work out some of her frustrations. No, instead the last time she got up close and personal with the action she was too busy playing bodyguard to her friends. And one of them still ended up in the hospital. Even _Impmon_ was getting some enjoyment out of the recent events, but she had been stuck on the sidelines.

_Well… me and Henry._ She thought. But Henry never really cared for fighting.

"Excuse me, miss Rika."

The girl shifted her eyes over to the direction of the voice. "I told you. Don't call me that."

"Err, sorry." The young Takato drew back. "But I was wondering, if we're here for clothes for me, then it means I'll be staying with you for a while, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so, why?"

"Well, I was just wondering, do you know when mom and dad are coming home?"

Rika sat up for a second before answering. "…Not for a while I suppose."

"Oh…. Did... Something happen to them?"

_You're asking me that now! Err, what am I thinking? He had to notice something was wrong sooner or later._

"Err, gee. I wonder what's taking Gogglehead so long?" Rika shifted, try to change the subject.

Arriving as if on cue, the mop headed boy showed up almost of nowhere with two ice cream cones in his hand. Casually, he handed one to his younger self then offered the other to Rika.

"What's the occasion?"

"Aww come on." Takato grinned. "Can't someone just do something nice for his friend?"

"Okay, okay. Thanks then, whatever your reason."

Takato smiled as the group stood up and began weaving through the crowds of people. "Truth is, you seemed kind of down today and I know you don't usually like these places. I figured I'd try and make this as painless as possible."

"Ahh, now that makes more sense. You should've got one for yourself too though. I don't imagine this was exactly how you envisioned your evening."

"Heh, I still can't believe you asked me to come with you instead of Henry. He's the one with all the experience in this department." The boy glanced back casually glancing at his younger self. "Besides. It's not so bad, at least the company is good."

Rika pretended to ignore the latter half of that sentence as the faintest sliver of pink appeared on her cheeks. "Ummm, anyway. Didn't you have something you wanted to talk to me about? The reason you showed up on my doorstep at just the right time…"

"Oh yeah! Have you or Renamon seen Calumon?"

"…? No… Wait, why? Don't tell me the little Cream Puff got kidnapped again?" Rika said, half-joking.

Takato scratched his head nervously. "Well, it seems no one has seen him in a week. Jeri's getting kinda worried and now I think I am too. Henry's paying a visit to Yamaki and Ryo's checking out the digital field."

_Once more Ryo gets the fun job._

"Alright, lemme know how it turns out."

Rika turned her head to the side as Takato nodded. Unfortunately that momentary lack of attention caused her to knock heads with another young lady wearing a sickly green colored school uniform and going in the opposite direction. Both girls fell over, landing harshly on their rears.

"Owww. Why don't you watch where your going." The other girl snapped angrily.

"Me? You're one too talk."

"Come on, it was just an accident." Takato said, eagerly offering his hand to Rika. She brushed it aside and got up on her own.

"Accident? I don't think so. Nonoka is always causing trouble."

"No she isn't." The younger child retorted. "She's really nice."

Rika's eyes narrowed as the voice seem to ring a few bells. "Naomi!"

The red-head's suspicions were confirmed as she lifted her head to the girl in front of her. There were two more helping her up, all dressed in same disgusting uniform that Rika hated so. And as far as people she wanted to deal with, those three were incredibly low on the list. Right down there with the J-Reaper… or Ryo.

Naomi was kind of like the group leader. She was quite pretty with long black hair, cinnamon colored eyes and she had a fair amount of charisma to go with it. She worked hard to hold up good grades, as well as good relationships with the teachers and the better half of the student body. She was more than a little snobby and over-pretentious, but her real flaw was her pride. She seemed to actually believe she was better than everyone else, and to have someone like Rika upstage her just didn't seem… ahh, what's that word… oh yeah, sane.

The girl on Naomi's right, Beatrice, was more to Rika's liking. A foreigner. If they had met after the Icedevimon incident, they could've been friends. At first glance she appeared to be a dark, quiet, giant with short jet black hair like Naomi's. Still quite pretty in her own right. She's usually a little slower mentally than most and prefers to hide behind a book, keeping to herself. Some wonder how she got into a private school at all. On the field, however, it's another story entirely. She earned the nick-name Beat because she almost unstoppable once you replace they wooden floor under her feet with a grass field. She's a bit of a celebrity, having represented Japan at a few international events. Her future goals are unknown.

The third girl was new. Rika didn't know her name yet, but she was apparently smart enough to attach herself to the most popular girl in school so she'd probably hear it sooner or later… Let's go with later, shall we?

"Come on Takato, let's leave the goof troupe to themselves."

"Huh? Uh, okay."

"Who's he? Your boyfriend?" Naomi sneered as Rika rolled her eyes. Was that comment even worth replying to?

"You got him whipped pretty fast." The nameless one added.

Beat was just standing there, staring at Takato with a confused look on her face. "You… ah, the TV…?"

"Huh…?"

"…Never mind." The girl blushed and turned away shyly.

"…Oookay."

"Oh, and who's this." The nameless girl squealed in her most baby-ish voice. In a flash she had bolted right past the Tamers to the six-year old in their care. "He's so cute."

The older boy sweat dropped. "That brings back memories. I always thought mom told everyone to say that."

Rika clenched her fist, then stuffed it in her pocket. "His name's Takato too. His parents are away so I'm taking of him."

"I see." Naomi stepped past her rival with a grin far too wide to be just plain happy. She was thinking of something, and that was rarely good for Rika. "Well then, Taka-chan. Be sure to disregard everything that bully Rika tells you."

"Huh? Big sis isn't a bully."

Rika growled. "Watch it Naomi."

"Now, now. If you listen to her…" The girl continued. "…you'll end up being a no good deadbeat loser like her father."

"Excuse me!"

"Well… You certainly didn't get it from your mother. Sometimes I wonder what that woman did to get stuck with you."

Rika lunged forward, but Takato stepped in the way, getting ready to grab her arms. For a second the young man thought he was going to get a face full of fist himself but Rika began slowing down glaring so hard it looked like she might burn a hole through him.

"Let me guess, You're going to tell me she's not worth it, Gogglehead?"

"Well if you already know then I don't have to say it." Takato responded smiling weakly.

"Whatever, just step to the side. I don't want to have to go through you too"

"Eh? R-rika. Fighting her won't solve anything."

"On the contrary, I'll feel a lot better."

"Okay, fighting won't solve anything except that. That still doesn't mean it's a good idea."

"Well I guess we know who wears the pants in that relationship." Naomi giggled to herself.

Rika narrowed her eyes impatiently stepped forward again trying to casually brush Takato aside. There were some lines you just don't cross, and unfortunately for Naomi, she had ran over a big one. The gogglehead wouldn't be dismissed so easily though. Once again he put himself as much in her way as possible. Rika groaned. This was becoming a hassle.

"Look goggles she deserves it. Why are you defending her?" Rika asked, already knowing the answer.

"Ummm." The mop-headed boy rolled his eyes. He had been taught since he was born to be against violence… well from when he was born until he met Kazu and Kenta. Somehow, though, he figured he'd need a better reason if he was going to convince Rika to let this one go. "Oh! I got it. Think of the example your setting for Taka-chan."

Takato finally moved, if only to show his friend the innocent face of an impressionable youth.

-WHUMP- "Got'er!"

A sharp scream rang throughout the mall, followed by the sound of a about a hundred pounds crashing into the floor. Dozens of onlookers turned to a where a small group of teens had gathered in the middle of the mall and Takato and Rika exchanged confused glances. Young Takato had plowed himself right into the back of Naomi's legs with ever once of might his little body could muster. The young girl was so transfixed on Takato and Rika's fight, she never saw it coming.

The pre-gogglehead stood up, looking far too proud of what he just did and cheered. "Got'er good!"

"Wh- Where did he learn that?" Takato asked, shifting his glance at Rika.

"Hey! Don't give me that look. I didn't teach him."

"I learned it from Kazu!" The child explained.

The Tamers sweatdropped. "Honestly… How did we not see that one coming?"

"Didn't he ever teach you something useful, like 'respect others personal space.'"

"No…. He taught me 'When in doubt, go for it.'"

"I remember that one." Takato said glumly. "If you think this is bad you should've seen _his_ example for that. That poor old woman… never saw him coming."

"Oh and… 'If you run into a bully, wait till their back is turned and then get ready to unleash a can of raging whoop-ahhh.'"

"Err time to go, now." Takato hastily ordered, taking a hold of the young man's hand. Rika saw it as well, a security guard was making his way over to the commotion. "Wait, I was suppose to kick-em while they were down."

Rika frowned. "I'm having a word with Kazu next time I see him."

"Good idea. Just promise me you'll leave him in one piece." Takato agreed. "…As soon as we get around the corner let's run to the next store."

"Good idea. The guard will never find us."

"Hey you! The one with the goggles."

"Awww nuts."

"Stupid gogglehead. They're bright yellow, of course they're going to stand out."

"Hey, you were the one just saying he'd never find us." The gogglehead retorted.

"Only as long as he doesn't see you before hand."

"Well… uh… How am I supposed to know that?"

"Should we run for it?" Rika asked.

"Eh? No. I don't want to get in any more trouble. We should just explain-"

Before another word was uttered the six year old sprinted ahead as fast as his little legs could carry him, causing the Tamers to once again trade glances.

"Well I guess that settles that."

"You know goggles. You are really a handful." Rika began to sprint ahead too, for a second it almost looked like she was enjoying this.

"Yeah, so much for setting an example."

Catching up to the child was easy. If anything the only hard part was not accidentally leaving him behind. Rika always did well at sports and Takato was second in his class, well third with the recent addition of Ryo. Suddenly Rika curved off to the side weaving through a few people then exiting through a plain white door. Takato moved to follow but slowed down when he noticed the simple sign on the front. The Red-head opened the door once again to see what was keeping her friends.

"Uh, Rika. I can't go in there, it's the girl's-"

"Now's not the time Gogglehead."

Before he could utter another protest the boy was promptly dragged into the ladies's washroom. "H-hey. No so rough… So this is what this place looks like."

"You've never been in here?" Rika arched a brow.

Takato shook his head. "Don't you think it would be odd if I had?"

"I have." The young boy said. The Tamers traded glances. "Kazu and Kenta played a game once where they kept switching the sign's at our school. Oooo Ms. Asagi wasn't too happy about that."

"Don't they have staff rest rooms."

"They weren't working at the time… now they have spares."

"Really, I wasn't aware Kazu used to be so…"

"Evil?" Takato jested.

"I was going to say rambunctious, but I suppose that works too."

"Yeah, I used to wonder where he got that from." The Tamer added, chuckling. "Then I met his mom. She threatened to beat me up if I spilled anything on her floor."

"…Okay. Are you sure you weren't hearing things?"

"No way. I remember that bit vividly. Her exact words were, 'if I find one crumb on my floor I will hang you off the roof of this house by your goggles.' I didn't eat for a week."

"I see…"

"But I shouldn't complain too much. After I kinda established I wasn't a troublemaker she eased up on me. Kazu's dad even called me a friend of the family." The boy prompted to himself proudly.

Rika smiled and swung her arm over the Gogglehead's shoulder. "Yeah. You have that affect on people. If you can't win them over, you wear'em down."

"Hey.…" Takato chuckled. "Er, But… speaking of families. Ummm, I don't think I've ever seen or even heard of your dad before. Is he away on business or something?"

"…" Rika lowered her eyes.

"Uh, sorry. Ummm, just forget I said anything, okay." The brunette stuttered as he realized his mistake. Quickly he backtracked to the door and tried to change the subject. "M-maybe the guard is gone by now. I'll just go check."

"Hold on. It's alright. My dad left a long time ago. Around the time mom's career was taking off. His last words were, I'll see you next Sunday."

"…That… must've hurt…" Takato said, taking a step back towards his friend. The boy Steadily began lifting his hand to place it on her shoulder, but suddenly he stopped. It was still weird to think of Rika as vulnerable. His instincts were telling him to go for it but his head was telling him she didn't need his sympathy.

"It did, for a while. But I've gotten over that. Or at least I thought I did. Ever since the Parasimon incident I've been having these thoughts of paying him a visit. I wonder what he thinks of me, being a Tamer." The girl trailed off near the end as she seemed to get lost in her own thoughts.

"I… couldn't tell you…" The boy replied softly. Rika seemed to draw back momentarily. " Err, But if I had to venture a guess, I'll bet he's proud. I know mine are, even though they always worry about me."

"Big sis is the coolest. And Renamon rocks."

Rika turned back to her friend as she felt as though a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "And if you ever do decide to see your father, and need someone to go with you, I'm here for you." The gogglehead continued.

"Takato…"

"Eh, uhh." Suddenly the boy floundered, his face turning beat red. "I-I mean me and Henry, er, Henry and I… are here for you. Not just me! Uh…even… though I am… you know!"

"Hmph. Don't forget about me." Renamon said calmly, shifting into view at the end of the stalls.

"Oh, and her…"

"And me!" The youngest child yelped as he pressed himself into the girl's thigh.

"…And you."

"Thanks guys. Now let's get out of here before those air-heads from earlier find us." Rika smirked as she grabbed the young Takato's ear. "And you should probably behave yourself before I put you on a leash."

"Ahh-tch. Okay okay. That stings."

* * *

"Dammit… There's just… -hughh- …no end to this." Ryo wheezed through a though a plume of smoke. He had run to another rooftop. Hopfully on the next one he would actually be able to see his partner. Although that wasn't going to be easy, the fire was spreading rapidly. He had managed to get that girl from earlier to a safe place, but as far as the boy was concerned. He had maybe five minutes before he had to biomerge or suffer lung damage. 

"Cyberdramon… Hurry back. I can't take much more of this."

From the outside, Cyberdramon cautiously glanced back to where his partner should be. The warrior didn't like having his back exposed and Ryo hadn't swiped any cards for a while. For every one bomber the dragon wiped out two more appeared. And then, they unleashed a fire storm that would make even Megagargomon seem like a toy soldier. The black smoke was another problem, making it hard to see, separating the pair. It stretched upwards like the very hand of death was reaching for the sky.

"Who knew humans could actually make worthy opponents?"

"They don't!"

"Metal Ball!"

Cyberdramon barely had the time to turn before a large lead orb plowed into his head. Send the beast sprawling into the nearest American bomber.

"Was that it? How sad for an Ultimate." The owner of the attack said solemnly. It was a small saurian styled Digimon with purple fur covering most it's body. It had a white snout though and brilliant red jewel embedded into head. It didn't have any wings either, but rather, it was using one of the bombers as a platform.

"Pfft. What did you expect? All these humans are nothing but pansies. Same with anyone who follows them." Second voice came from a figure flash-flickering on the other side of the plane. Nothing could be seen clearly except for that it appeared humanoid.

"Master, you don't need to concern yourself with me. You should go back and make sure that young lady doesn't do anything that might hinder us."

"Someone's watching her already. I think I'll go finish off that human we saw earlier. Then the Gogglehead next… They just piss me off."

"Remember, we need at least-"

"Ya ya. I know the deal. That chick should do. I'm gonna have a blast breaking her."

"Graaaagh! Eraser Claw."

The purple dragon head snapped upward. Cyberdramon was right in front on him. As for how something that big could get so close without being detected…

_Maybe this beast has a bit of warrior's blood in him after all…_

The smaller dragon, rolled to the side as the Ultimate ripped through another bomber like it was paper. Then used the force of the ensuing explosion to send him sailing toward another bomber.

"If that's all you have then this fight is already over. Metal-"

"Graaaaaagggggggghhhh"

Spinning viciously, Cyberdramon unleashed a projectile of his own, only much harder, and much faster. It was the same metal ball he had been pegged with either. Apparently the monster wasn't really hurt that badly since he still had the sense to catch it in his teeth and hold onto it. And as fast as the smaller monster was, it couldn't dodge in air.

The metal ball slammed into the younger dragon and jarred him into the same bomber he had intended upon landing on. This time when it exploded, he was helpless to do anything.

"What a drag. First, GaiOumon and now this! Why can't I have a partner that isn't a total weakling."

Cyberdramon turned towards the sound of the second voice. A big mistake. You'd think that a great fighter like him would know enough to confirm a kill. But in all fairness, it would be hard for any old Rookie to survive what the purple one went through.

"Dorudiin!"

Too bad this Rookie had Digivolved.

The digital dragon glanced back partially expect another projectile. Instead he was greeted with an ever enlarging ball of fire. Well, maybe not quite a ball… it seemed to have some sort of form and parts were solidifying into charred rock. Whatever it was becoming, it was becoming something fierce and lethal in both appearance and power. A rational Digimon would've stepped back and thought carefully about his next move, or bomb it with projectiles to stop it from forming…

…Cyberdramon, on the other hand, just saw a big target and went towards it.

"Eraser Claw!"

The next thing that occurred was an explosion so big it moved the spiral of black smoke over the water and turned the entire sky red. From the ground it would've looking something like Armageddon. The forced peeled away half the city and left the remaining half in shambles, not that it would be that way for long. Most of it was still ablaze and more bombers were coming in like moths.

From inside the blaze, Ryo lifted his face up from the dirt and beheld his partner falling from the explosion, leaking data like a sieve. Another shadow was tracing his friends movements, a Digimon Ryo didn't recognize. He knew his partner was in trouble. Like Takato, Henry, and Rika, he could feel the pain. He was still alive, but losing data fast. This wasn't good, the smoke had filled his lungs and he needed to Biomerge… now.

"No… Cyberdramon…" Ryo reached out vainly for his partner, only to have someone, judging by the shoes it was a human, stomp on his hand. "Urk!"

"Hmph. Weakling. So much for the Legendary Tamer. After today a _legend _will be all that's left..."

* * *

"Whaddaya mean we can't enter? We're Tamers, as in, you know, they guys that saved all you ungrateful little a-" 

"Terriermon, please… Surely there is some explanation for this. Can I speak to Yamaki?"

"He's busy, now beat it." The doorman on the right grunted. His partner on the left nodded with a satisfactory grin. Both were dressed like MIB staff. "This isn't a playground or a petting zoo."

"Henry, I think this qualifies as rude."

"For once, I agree."

"Can I be rude back? That's fair, right!"

Smirking, the blue haired Tamer turned around and started back to the elevator. "Love your logic on that one. I guess Hypnos is having more trouble with the Digital Field than I thought."

"Hmph. It's not always easy for us either you know." Terriermon said. "Yet somehow I manage to be delightful all the time. I hope Yamaki fires those two goons."

"Doubtful… Since they aren't on his payroll."

Glancing over to direction of the voice Henry's eyes met with the rather shapely body of a woman in her early thirties covered mostly in jeans and red hair down a little past her shoulders. She was stuffed inside a small office room that looked more like it was suppose to be used as a janitorial closet along with five or six other people. It took him a second to realize he was staring and turned away blushing slightly.

"Er, Riley! Finally, a framiliar face."

The woman nodded. "Hey guys. I'm taking my break. See ya later."

"This… probably has a good story behind it."

"Well that would depend on your definition of good." Riley replied. "There's a nice little restaurant right across the street. Let's go, my treat."

The blue haired Tamer nodded as he started towards the elevator. Riley caught up to him at the door.

"Yamaki had to fight to even get me back into the building."

"I thought your suspension was only temporary."

"It is, but that snake Fujiyama sent out a letter of recommendation for my replacement. He's trying to keep me out of that room for as long as possible."

"What about Talley and Yamaki."

"Talley's a great programmer but she's young, and sometimes a little too gullible. She'll be the fall girl if anything goes wrong. As for Yamaki, he may control Hypnos, but he's got a lot of enemies on the outside. Fujiyama's knows the sponsors of the program. He's trying to clip the bosses wings."

"I see. So that's why you accepted working in that tiny room."

"Huh?"

Henry shrugged. "Well, I figured with your talents you could find work pretty easily, but now I know, you want to keep an eye on things here."

"Oh, yeah… Those two aren't just my Co-workers, they're my friends. We have to watch out for each other, don't you think?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Henry replied. "And for what it's worth. I'm glad you decided to stick around as well. I can breathe a little easier knowing you're here."

"My, you charmer." Riley chuckled. "You're going to make some young lady very happy one of these days."

"Errr. Please." The Tamer flushed. "You're embarrassing me."

"Pfft. Try put shoved into a fluffy pink dress by a four year old. Now _that's_ embarrassing."

"My mom tried that once with me." The older woman commented. "Didn't go over so well."

Henry arched a brow "…Remind me to ask about that one day. But for now, I have a question, and then most likely a request."

"Ah, down to business."

"As a matter of fact… have you seen Calumon lately?"

"He's not at Jeri's?"

"No… Apparently no one's seen him in a week."

Riley slumped back in her chair. "Well, he is technically a wild one, with some very unusual properties."

"True, but he also loves people. I didn't think he would've wondered to far out of the city and he knows enough about Digital Fields to stay away from those too… I think. I was wondering if maybe he wandering in by accident."

Riley sighed. "I wish I was the right person to talk to about this, but thanks to that little witch Shoryu…"

"Got some issues their miss?" Terriermon giggled.

"You might say that. She may act all proper, but I've seen her true colors. She hates Digimon as much as her boss does. She definitely should not be left in control of _anything_ capable of hurting them."

"Is she really that bad?"

"…"

"…What did she do?"

"Hmph. Anything I say to you now is just second hand speculation, but anyways. I'll talk to Yamaki tonight and see if he knows anything about your friend."

"Thanks, we appreciate it."

* * *

"Alright, what about this one?" 

"Sure."

"And this one?"

"Fine."

"Okay… And this?"

"Looks good."

Takato sighed as he placed the third piece of clothing back on the rack. "And Ryo says you look good in pink."

"Okay."

"Rika!"

"Huh? What?" The redhead snapped into reality.

"Come on you're supposed to be helping. The least you could do is pay attention."

"I am."

"Rika… I just said you'd look good in a dress and you agreed with me."

"…_Crap."_ "Sorry. Guess I'm just not used to this."

"Really? I figured your mom would've at least taken you shopping a few times."

"Yeah… That usually doesn't end well. Now she just gives me money and I go on my own… most the time. You seem to be doing fine on your own though."

"Heh." The gogglehead sweatdropped. "My mom still makes me go with her. Makes me try on fifteen different outfits, giggles the pants, you know, anything she can do to embarrass me. Heck she took me last week."

"Heh heh. I wonder if Henry has to endure that kind of torture."

"Hmmm." Takato lifted his gaze as he seemed to being that some serious thought. "You know… I have no idea."

The peaceful moment was shattered as the younger Takato came rushing around the corner urgently and began tucking on the female Tamers arm. "You guys, the guard is coming."

"He's still looking for us?"

Rika frowned. "That guy needs a hobby."

"Can we still make it out of here without him seeing us?"

"Not unless you can make yourselves invisible." The 10 year old replied. "…You… Can't do that, can you?"

Rika rolled her eyes. "We're Tamers, not magicians."

"…Okay… I still have no idea what that means."

Rika's eye twitched as she lifted her gaze to the older human. "So… You were always this clueless."

"Hey!"

"Grab your stuff and let's hide in the change rooms, quick."

Nodding the brunette grabbed a pile of poorly folded fabric that had been left off the side and rushed after Rika, trying not to catch to much attention. As soon as they were all in the tiny compartment the youngest child kicked the door shut and slide the metal bolt in place. Not even bothering to turn around, Rika sighed.

"You know, when I said change _rooms_, I was hinting that you might want to use the others."

"Oops." The gogglehead grinned sheepishly. "Heh heh. Sorry. But it's too late to switch now."

Rika nodded before shifting her gaze to the younger boy with his eye jammed between the crack of the door. "What's he doing?"

"Awww, looks like's he coming over."

Rika groaned quietly. "The store clerk probably remembered seeing us. Now what?"

"Maybe he won't check very hard." Takato smiled in false hope.

"I think he'll at least check under the stalls, Gogglehead." The redhead replied, now wearing her vexed expression. "Quick, get onto the chair."

"Eh." Takato sweatdropped as he glanced to the corner of the compartment to behold the tiny plant form. It didn't even look fit to hold a small dog properly much less three humans. "We're going to use… that?"

"You got a better idea?"

"…Uhhh no."

The Tamers got on the chair first. Takato used the side of the wall for support and grabbed hold of Rika's hand to help her balance, while the pony-tailed girl pulled the walking time-space anomaly on afterwards. The younger Takato was pretty much hanging right off the side with his feet only on the edge of the stool, holding onto Rika's legs.

"Quit nudging me."

"I'm not nudging you."

"I think I'm going fall."

"Rather you didn't."

"Shhhh. He's coming."

"Owww, your standing on my-Mmph." Takato was instantly cut off as Rika clamped her hand over his mouth.

On the other side of the doorway, the shadow of a person seeped though the bottom of the door and rested just in front of it. A second later a loud knock was heard.

"_Shoot, did he see us?"_

The tiny Tamer looked up. "Should I tackled him, sis?"

"Hmmm, well…"

"Rika!"

The girl sighed. "…That's probably not the best idea."

Suddenly the person on the other side began speaking. "Nonaka? Are you there? I made the guard go away."

"Huh? That's not a man's voice."

"Brilliant deduction goggles… Uh, you can let go of me now."

"Ah? Oh right." Takato began to flush.

Just as Takato and Rika began to step down, the six year old jumped off the chair, kicking it out of the way. This of course sent the Tamers sprawling with the brunette ending up draped sideways over Rika's middle.

On the other side of the door, Naomi's friend Beatrice just stood there patiently listening to the sound of wood splitting, a few quick yelps, then finally the creek of the wooden frame opening to reveal a scene that doesn't normally occur in school.

"Ummm, should I come back later…?"

* * *

Finally. The day was almost over. The sky had already turned a deep orange and the last few rays of light were fading fast. Takato handed Rika back her phone after assuring his parents he hadn't been eaten, pounded into a fine paste, or blown into a million pieces. It's was pretty much a standard proceedure whenever he was going to arriving home after dark. Yoshie still decided to scold him a little though for not giving them a heads up beforehand. Takato grinned sheepishly while recieving his council. 

The brunnette sighed. "Wow, grounded from video games two days just for this. Guess she must'va been worried."

"Well it's your own fault Gogglehead. And are you sure it was alright to tell your mom you're fine. I mean... that ankle."

"Actually it's just a mild sprain." Beatrice smiled at the Kitsune Tamer, who, in turn, just glanced back suspiciously. "You only fell off that little chair in the changeroom, right? I doubt it's that bad."

"Hmph. We could've gotten it looked at at the store if it were for that guard."

"...Sorry." Beatrice replied quietly. "It's because Naomi had to try and start a fight with you..."

Rika stole a Glance at beatrice. Wow, she really _did_ look sorry. "...Ya well, thanks for helping me carry him back home."

"N-No problem, he's light."

The smaller child watched Beat in awe. "Wow… You might even be stronger than big sis."

The behemoth of a girl shook her head humbly. "I doubt that. I'm not a Tamer."

Rika shifted her gaze back tenaciously. Very few people at school believed she was a Tamer, mainly because of the bad reputation she had built up before meeting Takato and Henry. The idea that a girl like her would risk her life from somebody else was foreign to them.

"Tamers… So you know about us then."

"Yes… I saw you on the TV screens during the D-Reaper attack." Beatrice began to blush at the memory, as did the young man she was carrying.

Rika folded her arms and lifted her head up a little snobbishly. "Hmph, you don't actually believe I do any of that stuff, do you."

"Uh… well." Beatrice stammered. "…Naomi says that the D-Reaper and the Parasimon incidents were just hoaxes set up by your mother... But I was actually taken over by one of the Parasimon. And the ones that saved me were you guys." Beatrice paused as she smiled back at the boy she was carrying. "You're… the white and red one, right? I've always wanted to meet you in person since then. I thought you'd be taller."

"Heh, Well here I am, short and crippled. Not as impressive as you thought, huh?" The by grinned.

The young lady shook her head. "I-I wouldn't say that. It was really nice the way you stuck up for Rika today. –wish someone would stick up for me like that once in a while." She murmured.

"…" Rika said nothing to that and kept walking quietly.

"So uh… are you and Rika in the same class?" Takato asked.

"Yes. Although it may not be like that for very much longer." Beatrice replied. "My grades are very low. I'll be expelled at the end of the month if things don't get better."

"Ouch. Is it just in a certain subject?"

"No." Beat said. "I have trouble with writing Japanese. Naomi's been trying to help me with it but she already has so much to do."

"It's true." Rika commented. "Stick her in a dog suit and she'd be the school's official mascot. Pretty much everything is organized, coordinated and sometimes even paid for by her."

"Hmmm, well if she doesn't have the time… Maybe we can help!"

Rika paused as she once more shifted her gaze to the gogglehead in that 'alright, now what are you getting me into stare'. She didn't have to wait very long to find out as Takato picked up on Rika's skepticism in a heart beat.

"No no. It could work, really. Just invite Beatrice here over the next time you and Jeri hang out."

"…" Rika's reserved look didn't subside.

"I…I don't really want to be a bother…" Beatrice said quietly.

"Seriously. Jeri's a great tutor. She's helped me with… well… pretty much everything at one point or another. Although in all fairness a lot of that was unduing the damage that Kazu did… Like ducks have flat beak's because they run into walls to often."

"Hey, my friend told me the same thing!"

Rika sighed. "Whatever. You can do whatever you want."

With that the red-head quickened her pace, not wanting to talk anymore. This day had dragged on long enough. Takato and Beatrice continued talking amongst themselves though about a variety of things; School, Guilmon, and even though it barely audible, Rika could scarcely making out her own name every couple of minutes, usually right before they burst out laughing.

"_Stupid Gogglehead. You better not be telling her anything stupid."_

The conversation eventually stopped when the two reached the front gate to Rika's house. The Vulpine Tamer was leaning against the wall waiting for them. The data anomaly rushed inside quickly, famished by all the running around that took place earlier. Carefully she helped unload her friend off her classmates shoulder, momentarily glancing at his sprained ankle. It had already swollen up. With a sigh she began helping him inside, no point in making him walk home on that.

"Oh yeah…" She said, turning momentarily the giant. "…So are you actually coming over tomorrow or what?"

Beatrice stopped in her tracks, partially stunned since the conversation earlier implied, if anything, that no suck thing was ever going to happen. "U-uh. Yes, I'd be happy too."

"Fine. I'll introduce you to Renamon then. See ya tomorrow."

Beat's face almost seemed to light up instantly at the mention of the fox-styled digimon. After bowing and saying thank you about thirty times she finally took off towards home in a mad dash. Takato chuckled in spite of himself. "Looks like you got a new friend."

"I don't think I'm the only one."

"Eh?"

"You two seemed to hit it off really well."

"Oh that. She just really wanted to know more about our Digimon."

"I see." Rika said. "Anyway, come on inside. I'll help you with that ankle."

"Ah, okay."

As Rika took her friends are and sung it over her should, she couldn't help but feel a stifled laugh. "…What?"

"Oh nothing." Takato said. "I just never pictured you playing nursemaid to me."

"Hmmm… You know, your right." Rika smirked at she let go of her friend and began walking towards the entrance. "Good luck with the stairs."

"Errr, wait!" The gogglehead reached ahead and nearly tripped. "Awww nuts… Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut."

A few minutes (and many pained cries) later, Takato had finally made it inside to relax. Rika's grandmother had left to drop off an outfit with Rumiko and left a note explaining such. Dinner was already laid out and the old woman gave several assurances she would be right back. Meanwhile Rika began trying to coax the young one to eat his vegetables, and made a bowl of ice for the older one who was recuperating in the living room.

"Really Rika, I'm fine."

"Probably, but your also hopeless, now sit still."

"But the ice hurts."

"No kidding. What do you think this is a spa?" Rika replied. "The ice helps the swelling go down so it's a good idea to get it done before you go to sleep."

"…Sorry. I know what your doing, Kazu used to get into a lot of fights also that he didn't want his parents to know about and Kenta was officially the medic on call. You know, It's really fitting actually that he ended up with Marine Angemon."

"Kazu and Guardromon too." Rika said. "They're both a pair of dim bulbs but I'm glad at least one is logical."

"Heh heh. No comment."

Quietly the preschooler made his way into the room and snuck onto the couch. The tamers smiled as the boy took a few moments to study his older counterparts ankle then poke it nervously times.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore, thanks to Rika. Who would've thought she had a soft touch." Takato grinned playfully.

"…Hmph. It's no big deal. I've just done this before."

"Really, I feel way more relaxed here than when I was at the hospital."

"That's only because your sitting on one of the most comfortable couches money can buy."

"…Oh… You sure?"

"Positive. Now hold still." Rika muttered as she unwrapped a tension band and began coiling it around the goggle head's ankle. "It doesn't seem too bad. You should be alright by tomorrow morning. Try to stay off it until then."

"Heh. Thanks for the hospitality, but I think I should head off now. Mom's probably worrying about me." Takato smiled as he began hobbling his way over to the door. Unfortunately he didn't get more than two stepped before the next thing out of his counterpart's mouth made him slow down.

"Hmmm. I wonder what my mom's doing right now… Ya think she misses me?"

Rika flinched at the question, or rather, the tone it carried, like the child was honestly starting to believe he'd never see his parents again. "Ye-yeah. I'm sure she does."

"Do you know when she's coming back?"

"…Mmm… No. Soon, I hope."

"Did… Did something happen to her?"

"_Yeah, your entire world reformatted itself."_

Rika frowned inwardly. She didn't really want to outright lie to the kid, but anything seemed better than the truth at this point. "Uhh, Well…"

"Your parents have gotten held up, but I'm sure they'll be soon." The older goggleboy stepped back and rested a hand on his young self's forehead.

"Really?"

"Uh… yeah sure." Takato sweatdropped.

"Tomorrow?"

"_Why not, I still have no idea how 'soon' is supposed to work." _"Ummm, yes?"

"Yay!" The data anomaly cheered before giving the Leader of the Tamers his biggest bearhug possible.

"Takato…"

"Relax. I'm sure I'll think of something… I think… I hope."

Rika shook her head. "It's not that. I mean, it is kinda but… What I wanted to ask was, er… Look, your way better with him than I am. Do you think you could stay around a bit longer. Then my mom or my grandma can give you a ride when she gets home."

Takato glanced down at the organism that had permanently attached itself to his waist. "I may not have a choice. He's got a grip like a vice."

Rika smiled a bit before getting up to put the dishes to soak, which didn't take long consider so few people were eating. A few minutes later she returned to ask if the boys if they wanted to get off their lazy butts and actually help. She wasn't about to get an answer any time soon though, both kids had passed out on the couch. The little one still glomping onto the older one and mumbling incoherently about random things.

"_Those two really are hopeless."_ Rika smiled, disappearing for a few minutes then returning with a quilt and spreading it out over them.

"You should probably get some rest too."

Rika shrugged. "I still have a few things I need to clean up."

"I'll handle them."

"Rika arched a brown as she turned to face her partner. "Volunteering for house chores? That doesn't happen too often. What's the catch?"

Renamon shook her head. "No catch, I insist… It's been… oddly calm tonight."

"Well, you can't have a wild one every night." Rika said, walking over to the couch. Maybe she would rest her eyes for a moment, just until her mom got home anyway.

"…I suppose your right. But I can't seem help this agitated feeling. I'm surprised you can't feel it as well Rika… Rika?"

Renamon sighed empathetically upon seeing her partner slumped over sleeping peacefully just as the two boys that constituted her pillow. Although, she was at least much quieter than they were.

"I guess… you had a long day too. Sweet dreams, Rika."

* * *

Preview

* * *

Ryo's fate now lies in ruins, or in particular, the ruins of a scorched japanease city that's been razed to ground, destruction for miles in every direction. 

Meanwhile in the Real World a new Tamer reveals emerges. What are his goals, his background. Read the next chapter to find out.

A/N: Alright, there's a couple things I wanted to do but didn't get time for.I should be handling that in the next chapter. A: Takato's reaction toa picture of Jeri and Rika's costume change, and B: Ryo has to deal with a completely new world and find out how close it can parrallel reality.

Replies to Reviewers will most likely go up Tomorrow! I don't have access to my own computer right now and this one is not fit for extended internet use.


	9. Chapter 9

**After Thoughts

* * *

**

The evening was beginning to die off as Ryo brushed aside more ash. His arms had turned black as coal since he had started doing this in the morning. Now he was getting tired. The hopeless of his situation wasn't helping. There was more ash for miles around. He had no idea where he dropped it, no landmark was left standing… he needed it back. His digivice… and also his partner.

"No luck again today?"

Ryo sighed. He could practically sense the girl sitting up on a wooden plank behind him. This was the person who found him, a girl named Seiko, of all the irony. The details were sketchy, but apparently when she showed up Ryo's attackers had already fled. She was kinda cute with her light brown hair and a pink kimono with white flowers. The Tamer had to remind himself that this was just a bit of spare data on more than one occasion. Especially since her house burnt down so they were forced to rely on each other.

"I got you some food."

Ryo sighed. 'Food' right now basically meant a teaspoon of rice for the whole day sometimes the whole week. But time was wearing him down. "Ya, alright. Thanks." He reached over and held out his hand.

"If you came with me we could get two rations instead of one."

"If I could find my partner I bet I could get a thousand." He replied.

"Is he really worth that much?"

"Who said I was going to sell him?"

"Hmmm." Seiko lifted her head to the sky, trying to figure out how else he'd get food, but eventually came up short. "…You're weird."

"…This doesn't make any sense. If Cyberdramon were alive he'd come to me. Could the Americans have him? Yeah right, what could they possibly make to hold that guy back."

"Maybe he's dead?"

"Not possible. He dies, I die. And unless I'm mistaken, I'm not quite dead."

"No, but your still weird."

"I'm not the random mass of floating data."

"I have no idea what any of that means, weirdo."

Ryo chuckled a bit. "I don't suppose you'd mind not calling me that."

Seiko giggled at his apparent frustration. "But it's true, everyone says so. Even crazy old Yoshi thinks you're off your rocker. You're the weirdest thing I've seen since the rice ball with feet."

"…? Okay… Now what are _you_ talking about? Ugh!"

The boy heaved as Seiko jumped on his back. How she still had so much energy when starvation should've been setting in was beyond him. "Oh, it was so cute. And it wanted to play with me But then those stupid American soldiers took him away."

"A little white ball with feet that wants to play… Wait a second. Calumon! He really is stuck in here!"

"Eh? You know him… you are SO weird."

"Where did you see him? He's one of the reasons I came here."

Seiko scrunched her face, trying to recall the memories. "He was… All over the place really. I even fished him out of the lake once. Said he wanted to play with the fishies."

Ryo sighed. He now had yet another thing he had to look for. "Did you at least see where they were taking him?"

"…"

The girl grew silent for a moment and the cheery smile faded from her face. A second later she lifted her arm past the boy's should and pointed at a large structure in the distance. I looked like a techno obelisk or perhaps some creepy version of a Dark Spire. Either way it definitely was not from history, rather it was another rather large discrepancy that people seemed to ignore for the most part. They treated it as though it were just another jail. Of course, Ryo knew better, he also knew that place may be his only hope of getting out of the Digital field..

"Your plotting something." Seiko chimed in. "Your not going there, are you?"

"I just want to take a look. It'll be fine, trust me."

"Ummm, no. Sorry but you seem like the type that gets in over your head really quickly."

Ryo did a double take. "You could tell? Look I'll be back within the hour so you can let go… Now would be good."

Seiko tightened her grip. "Oh no you don't."

Before the Tamer even knew what hit him he felt one of his legs give out. Mean while the girl on his back readjusted her grip around his neck into a choke hold.

"I saw one of the soldiers do this. You'll let me know if I'm doing it wrong, right." Seiko giggled.

"Can't… breathe…"

"That's what I like to hear. And this is what's going to happen to you if you ditch me just to get yourself shot at that place."

Ryo lurched forward as Seiko let go, suddenly the girl behind him was reminding him strongly of Rika, with a little less grace and a little more… oomph.

"And by the way, you need to start pulling your weight. Starting now, your coming with me when I pick up the rations. We can get some more if you sell some of that extra gear."

"…" Ryo frowned. He didn't have time to deal with her. And he might've said something about it too if she didn't suddenly grab him by the back of his collar and start dragging him away.

"Come, on. We need to get there before they run out for the day."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

Hours later, Ryo found himself shifting around on the dirt next to one of the fire shelters. He hadn't had to sleep like this since he was in the Digital World… and that one time when Cyberdramon ate his bed. And although he'd been getting used to it over the last few days, this was hardly the time to sleep. He knew where Calumon and he wasn't about to waste his time just loitering around. Pushing off the ground he rose to his feet, brushing off any excess dirt and bugs before taking a quick look around to see if Seiko was watching. She was nowhere in sight for once, perfect.

Ryo didn't was anytime departing from the outpost. The tower was a good hour's walk away and he wanted to get this done before daybreak.

"Where do you think your going?!"

Ryo flinched before stopping. Seiko… where did she come from. Quietly the boy turned around and saw the girl standing over some thatched together material that one could loosely call his blanket.

"You're going to _that_ place aren't you."

"Eh… yeah, sorry." Ryo grinned nervously a little and shifted his eyes. Even if she was only data he didn't feel comfortable under her glare right now and would much rather be invisible at the moment.

"Are you that desperate to die?" Seiko half asked/ half shouted, her worry mixing with her anger.

"Eh? No I just… well, maybe. Actually now that I think about it, I kind of have a reputation for doing this kind of stuff at home too don't I?"

"This kind of stuff? You mean running off into strange places?"

"Well, that too." The Tamer forced a laugh. "But actually I'm pretty well known for my disappearing acts. It's kinda my curse."

The brunette just folded her arms unrelentingly. If Ryo was expecting any sympathy from her he was in for a long wait. "If it's so bad then why do you do it?"

"That's… a longer story than I have time for. I'm leaving now, see you in the morning." Ryo turned and started on his way. Quietly swallowing the words 'I hope' before he added them on the end of that sentence. Seiko waited until any and all distinguishable features shrunk to invisibility before turning around and doing the same.

"Goodbye..."

As the Tamer closed in on his target, he began to feel the presence of enemy occupation more and more. Soldiers driving around jeeps, surveying land, clearing the ash, moving materials, and simply loitering could be seen in every direction. Fortunately, the night was dark, and Ryo's clothing didn't standing out very much. Plus all the materials being used to make the obelisk afforded him many a hiding spot. The real trick, though, was going to be getting past the entrance. With only one way in it didn't leave a lot of room to improvise.

To paint the picture, the door was about ten feet wide and thirty feet tall. Imperialdramon could use this puppy without even hunching over. Four guards adorned the place, one on each side and two in the middle, all carrying old school rifles that make nice round holes in pesky kids trying to sneak in.

"Come on Ryo. You've done the impossible before. 'Going through door' should be an easy mission for you."

The brunette glanced around. If only he had something to work with… Supplies were everywhere, but since most of it was raw materials that didn't help him much. Suddenly the answer dawned on him.

"Hang on, if they're patrolling with jeeps, they gotta have a parking compound or a mechanics shop around here… If I can just get there without being caught."

"Hey you!"

The boy froze…

_So much for that idea._

…And spun around slowly to see a soldier deadlocked on him. Groaning the Tamer put up his hands and forced a smile. "Uhhh, you know where the bathroom is?"

"Huh? You're just a kid! Ahh geez I won't get a promotion for turning in some little brat."

"Life's tough." Ryo joked trying to appear less threatening. With any luck the officer might just let him go. But that was before he started shrinking back a little under the soldiers glare.

"You're not supposed to be out here. Come with me and I'll drive you back to town… well, what's left of your town."

"Thanks." The Tamer replied, before lunging at the officer. "But that'll take to long and I'm kind of in a hurry."

"What the?!"

Now Ryo may have been athletic but against a trained officer of one of the most elite armies in the world at that time that amounted to… nothing. The guard shrugged him off easily and aimed down with his gun. However when he did so he came face to face with a horrible sight, one that caused him to immediately flee in terror for Ryo was smiling. In one hand, the Tamer held a grenade, freshly pilfered. Worse yet, in the other hand, a pin, belonging to aforementioned grenade.

The Tamer wasted no time in dispensing the device as far and as hard as he could backward. "Well, not quite the diversion I had in mind but that should do the trick."

Ryo quickly darted around, what was soon to be, damaged goods and made for the door. The guards were still there, but that changed about two seconds later when a massive explosion just about deafened the whole base and caused the guards to take off running. Ryo thanked his lucky stars that they weren't smart enough to leave at least one guard by the gate.

The Tamer charged in the door hearing a few guards yell at him on his way in. That was alright, he didn't need to stay hidden anymore, he just needed to avoid any tiny metal bone splitting projectiles. Once inside he'd hopefully be able to find a hiding spot, or at least to something to block the door with.

Boy was he in for a surprise.

He wasn't sure what exactly to expect inside the strange structure. Dark walls, some iron bars maybe. After all it was a supposed to be some sort of prison. On the other hand, it clearly didn't match the rest of the world. He at least expected there to be a few more guards, and there was… well, bits of them anyway. Arms, legs, torsos… the Tamer forced himself to take a good look at one of the faces that adorned the corner of the room. However there was no blood, rather the limbs were covered with what could best be described as fragmenting Data.

The walls were decorated with bizarre patterns, that glowed eerily and provided the only source of light. It was obviously some kind of Digital Code, but why did it look so familiar…

"What the… Who… did this."

"**You did."**

Ryo spun around looking for the owner of the voice. Instead he came face to face with the realization that there was no longer a door behind him. He was trapped. Suddenly he got the feeling he ran straight into an ambush. "Darn it… Look, I don't know who you are but I didn't do this. There's no way."

"**None the less you are responsible for the deeds of your partner. Whether you meant to or not is irrelevant, you kept him alive when he should have died."**

"Monodramon. Has every much a right to live as I d-"

"**We are not talking about him. But since you brought up the subject, does it at all bother you to know what you toted into the Real World."**

"Not talking about… wait, then you mean…"

"**And before… you lost control of him when you passed out. The data soldiers did quite a bit of damage to the town, but they weren't the ones who leveled it."**

Ryo's eyes widened. "No way… Then he's back?"

"**No Ryo. He never left. He did not disappear just because you stopped paying attention to him."**

That was a cheap shot Ryo thought to himself. When did he ever refuse to acknowledge the other side of his partner, he knew he had to deal with it. He _had_ dealt with it. Several times in fact. The spooky voice was getting on his nerves. The Tamer decide to ignore it and do what he came here to do. Find, Calumon, find his partner, and blow this joint. It was time to go home, to see Rika, and Takato, and Henry, and yes even Kazu.

"**I'm curious, Ryo. Why do you never play his card."**

"Because I don't need him to win."

"**That's a fine attitude to have for your partner. Reminds me of mine, really."**

"We have different ways of doing things." Ryo continued trying to justify himself.

"**So you discard him. It appears as though you and Rika have much more in common than I thought."**

"Rika…?" Ryo paused. Of course, he had heard the stories of the old Rika. Passing references to how she met the other Tamers and such. But it never really stuck in his mind of how bad it might actually have been.

"**The difference being she got over her issues, you are barely getting by with yours. No wonder you decided to follow the Matsuki boy. He's turning out to be more a Tamer than you ever were… Don't worry though; we'll fix that soon enough."**

"Takato…? Hmph. Somehow I doubt he's seen anything quite like my partner." There voice grew quiet for a moment. At first Ryo thought it was finally laying off, but after a few muffled gags he realized it was trying to hold back from laughing.

"**When you get back, little Akiyama. Be sure to ask him about Megidramon."**

Ryo frowned in response as he quickened his pace and almost stepped over the edge as he rounded a corner. The relatively compact corridor now opened into a massive spherical room that looked like it was a mile in diameter, much bigger than the obelisk should have been. The real eye catcher, however was the dozens of interlocking gears rising up through the bottom of the room and straight through the top. It didn't look like anything was holding them in place though, apart from the fact that they were packed so tightly together.

"Great, how am I going to get past this…" Studying his surroundings a bit, the young Tamers attention became drawn to the hole at the roof from of which the gears disappeared through. "Hmmm, I wonder if I can use them as stairs to get through there. "

Of course, there was only one way to find out for sure, and to his delight he discover that the gears made perfect starts, except for a few that tried to eat his shoes.

About half way up he found another hazard, falling debris. At first he thought it may have just been a small gear jarred loose by his climbing, as it got closer to his head he became increasingly aware of what it really was.

"My Digivice!"

Ryo made a dive for his birthright, at the same time the gear he was standing on doubled its turning speed then jerked to a stop forcing him to lose balance. Although he did manage to catch the device, his leg became trapped between two of the gears. Not crushed mind you, not yet anyway. A few more turns would change that though.

"**How foolish."**

Ryo grunted as he squirmed to get his leg free. The gear turned one more notch. Another two an… Well, he didn't want to think about that.

"**You should be thankful my colleague isn't here. He happens to be especially brutal and hateful towards your ilk."**

The Legendary Tamer ignored the comments while making a note about how the voice spoke. Very mature and proper. He focused completely on getting his leg out of the lousy position it was in. The Gear turned another notch, tightening the bronze grip even more.

"**Do you think Henry would have made that mistake? What about Rika of whom you adore. Is incompetence a sign of your little group, or is it specific to you. What would your old friends think if they could see you now? Powerless, incompetent, fighting for your life, and still… failing!"**

"ErrrAAAGHHH."

The turned, biting down on the end of Ryo shoe, just as he got his leg free in time. Quickly he gave himself a once over. Checking for any damage invisible or not. He was relieved hen he appeared to be fine, if not a little shaken.

Standing up slowly, the boy glanced around angrily. "Errr, Where are you, you little…!"

The browned haired boy trailed off, suddenly become aware of his labored breathing and sweating. He was losing his cool, not like himself at all. He's THE legendary Tamer after all. Even if being stuck in a wasteland for a few days was wearing on him… He had to get a grip of himself. Silently he waited a minute to let himself calm down before continuing the climb.

"_The others are waiting for me… Monodramon is waiting for me… Kazu and Kenta are probably going nuts… I'll bet my parents think I'm gone again… But I'm not gone, not this time. I'm going home and by this time next week this'll be one heck of a story."_

If only things were that easy.

"…_Maybe I should've listened to Seiko."_

Another grunt as Ryo hoisted himself over the last gear and shook those annoying doubt from his head. He had dealt with doubts about his abilities, his choices before, who wasn't. But today they were coming out in force. The room he was in now was pretty bleak and dark with more of the symbols from before, the only thing of interest being a door located dead ahead. He wasted no time in pushing forward, and finally found what he was looking for.

"Monodramon!"

The dragon-ized lizard was trapped uncomfortable in some sort of dome of light fused into the ground. There were two others, forming a triangle around the edges of the room. Holes that looked like they had been blown into the wall formed the windows and allowed in the only source of light, not that there was much of it. The weather outside was cloudy and pouring. The whole room was covered in a sheet of water. Ryo ignored and slid into the makeshift cage.

"Monodramon! Monodramon, wake up! Are you alright?! Come on, please answer me!"

Instead of answering the creature's data fluctuated giving Ryo the impression that if it weren't for their bond, he would have disintegrated long ago.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of there."

"Finally!" Another voice growled. "Took you long enough. Would you mind taking the puff ball and the girl with you? Kidnapping maidens and babies doesn't quite match my idea of a warrior's code."

Ryo got up, turning around. His eyes narrowed angrily but he kept himself calm. This wasn't the voice that was messing with him earlier. "And you are…"

A small purple Digimon stepped out of the shadows. It was a largely furry dinosaur like Guilmon but smaller with white at the tips of his protrusions and a masterful red orb embedded into his forehead head which he bowed casually. "Hello again warrior. I didn't think you'd live. Then again I didn't expect your partner to be an insane evil god either."

"What do you want?"

The purple saurian tilted his head for a moment. "Right now… A rematch."

**Metal Cannon!**

Reacting a dime Ryo dove out of the way, letting the attack shattering his partner's prison. Although the Rookie was still in too bad a condition to fight and Ryo still didn't have any of his cards.

Ryo smirked a little. "Sorry, as much as I'd like to see your data float away, Monodramon is resting. Would you mind postponing until he can at least open his eyes, or better yet. Move?"

The hairball just sneered.

"Don't worry about me Ryo. I fine."

"Eh, what the-" Ryo glanced around to see his partner suddenly climbing to his feet, smiling happily. Any hint of damage was gone in less time than it would take to blink an eye.

"This field does more than just change the scenery." The opposing dragon informed. "Haven't you figured out what kind of place this is yet?" The purple dragon sighed. "Nevermind… The exit is up one more floor, however the only way your getting there is past me. I've revived your partner, now let's finish this properly."

"**Metal Cannon!"**

Monodramon reacted quickly by rushing under the attack and lunging at his enemy. While Ryo pulled up his stats.

"**Beat Knuckle."**

**Name: Dorumon**

**Type: Beast**

**Attribute: Vaccine**

**Level: Rookie**

**Attacks: Metal Cannon, Dash Metal**

"Careful Monodramon, he may be a Rookie but he doesn't seem like a lightweight."

Ryo didn't know how right he was. Instead, of dodging Monodramon's oncoming fists, he lowered his head and rushed forward.

**Metal Dash!**

The furry beast slammed into Monodramon breaking through the attack like it wasn't even there and taking a good chunk out of his opponent. Ryo couldn't help but notice the sound of Dorumon's footsteps changed as well, from a soft pat, to a solid clunk. They also left cracks in the floor, like the little Digimon had temporarily become a tank. Ryo smirked, coming up with a plan. If Dorumon tried that attack again this fight would be over. But first he had to find out who or what was in the remaining cages.

"Was that it?" Ryo smirked. "Henry's little sister hits harder than you."

"If you're expecting to bait me into destroying the next two cages it won't work." Dorumon said calmly.

Ryo sweatdropped. The Rookie wasn't as dumb as most the Digimon he had encountered. Usually in the Digital World you barely need bat an eye to start a battle. And once you were in one, most Digimon just charged each other aimlessly. The good ones like Renamon at least knew how to play on given advantages like terrain or type. Few of them ever had the soundness of mind to remain so perceptive, almost like he knew what the boy was thinking.

But that was no problem; it just meant a little extra work on the Tamers part.

"Monodramon! Can you keep him busy bit?"

"I'll try." The Dragon replied.

"**Cracking Bite!"**

Dorumon leaned back just of range of his opponents teeth as they snapped down where his neck should've been. Then leaned forward again bringing him into point blank range with his own attack.

"**Metal Cannon!"**

Monodramon's reptilian eyes widened as Dorumon opened his mouth just inches above his own face. The attack launched with same speed a ferocity that it had before, just as the dragon turned and arched his body, letting attack implant harmlessly into the ground.

"**Cracking bite!"**

Taking advantage of Dorumon's leaning forward off balance, the hairless dragon chomped down hard on the creature's leg, waiting until he heard something snap, and then whipping him across the room. Dorumon got up with a labored grunt.

On the other end of the room, Ryo was using one of his new friend's discarded metal orbs to break the second cage, which, as it turns out held Calumon. Occasionally the boy looked up to check on his partner, relieved to see the mon was doing just fine. All those battles in the Digital World weren't for nothing. While this 'Dorumon' may have been a natural born warrior he simply couldn't keep up with Monodramon's skill and experience.

**Metal Dash!**

"_Game over." _Ryo thought.

"Monodramon! Take two steps left and get ready to roll."

"Sure thing. Any specific direction you want me to head in?"

"Yeah! Backwards."

The dragon glanced behind himself, quickly getting an idea of what his partner wanted done. Nodding Monodramon lowered his stance as the fuzzy tank rushed him and waited until he could actually feel the ground crack beneath his feet.

**Cracking Bite!**

Monodramon suddenly snapped his jaw forward and clamped it around Dorumon's neck while using his arms to further solidify his grip. Then with every once of strength he had, he leaned back pulling the warrior dragon with him in a powerful roll that smashed clean through the last cage and kept going towards the wall. Suddenly Monodramon released his grip and waited until he felt his shoulders on the wet ground before forcing his legs up and thereby launching Dorumon into and hopefully through the wall.

"Nice one Monodramon! I couldn't have asked for a better job."

"Awww, it was nothing."

Ryo smiled and gave his partner a hug. It had been to long. "Thanks buddy. Now let's see who's behind door number three?"

Ryo reached into what was left of the second cage before wander over the third. He couldn't see who it was yet, but it certainly seemed larger than Calumon and his own partner. A soft moan caused the Legendary Tamer to pause. A girl?

**Metal Cannon!**

The boy didn't have time to react as the Metal Projectile ripped through the wall Dorumon had been kicked out of and into the ground right in front of him sending the child, The Catalyst known as Calumon, and his partner sprawling. The embroidered dragon tore there rest of the wall away with his teeth and dashed through the smoke like a rabid hellhound.

**Metal Dash!**

Monodramon got up and leapt in front of his partner taking up a defensive stance. That was fine, Ryo wasn't the real target anyway. Dorumon plowed into Monodramon and embedded him into the ground before getting ready for his second attack. And this time there would be no dodging it.

**Metal Cannon!**

"Monodramon! That it. nough of this. Biomerge!"

Ryo waited for a moment for something to happen. A few seconds later be became aware that nothing would. Something was wrong with his Digivice, that, however, wouldn't deter the young boy from saving his partner. Without a second thought Ryo launched himself at Dorumon.

The furry dragon however, merely redirected his aim.

**Metal Cannon!**

Ryo was flung back as orb clipped him in the shoulder. Dorumon re-adjusted his aim accordingly now that Ryo was no longer a threat. To bad he was so distracted by the boy. If he was, he may have noticed the faint light emanating from Monodramon's body. Good old Monodramon, ya just can't keep a good mon down.

**Metal Can-**

Dorumon didn't get to finish that attack. He was too busy noting that his opponent, barely able to move two second ago, had just shoved his claw into his torso. Cyberdramon climbed to his feet shrugging off the damage easily, growling triumphantly at the fur ball before flinging him across the room with barely any effort.

Dorumon coughed weakly as his body slid to a stop. From his spot on the ground Ryo could him trying to speak. "I… I should have… won… this fight."

Ryo eyed his partner cautiously. "Welcome back."

The Ultimate snapped his head to the side. "Someone's coming." Cyberdramon stated plainly.

"Good I wanna see who's been messing with us." Ryo replied. "I got the strong sense the Dorumon wasn't doing it on his own."

"Agreed."

The two figures ran towards the door, taking up residence on either side of it. Now the footsteps were loud enough for even Ryo to hear plainly but suddenly… they stopped. There was a long pause directly on the other side.

"Dorumon… What an idiot. There's no way he should've lost to that trash… Oh well, you're still not getting out of here Ryo."

The Tamers breathing halted. Could whoever it was see them…?

…The short answer was yes…

And that's not all it could do. On the other end of the room Dorumon got up once more. But he didn't look any livelier. Data still flowed freely from the open wound on his chest, and his eyes, which had been proud and determined a moment ago, now held only a hallow stare.

**Dorumon Digivolve tooo... DeaxDorugoramon**

"Cyberdramon!"

"This will be no challenge!" The dragon growled out, eager to take on his next opponent..

"Wait, let me try Biomerging again."

"It won't work. I've been blocking Biomerges since I realized you weren't dead yet. Like a roach aren't you."

"Hmph, awfully full of yourself for someone who doesn't even have the courage to show his face."

That comment went ignored. Instead the Undead Dragon let out a blood curdling Howl and lunged at Cyberdramon, who in turn tried to dodge by taking to the air. DeaxDorugoramon planted him with his other hand. This no slouch of a Digimon, even by Mega standards. Ryo cringed. There was no obvious way out of this situation. He'd need a miracle to get out of this one.

Ask and you shall receive.

Suddenly the entire world around him flash-flicked. The ground, walls, everything became grainy, like a TV show with bad reception. Even the Giant purple metal dragon was having some problems with it. The beast let go and stumbled back, like it was in pain.

"What the…?"

"**Ryo, ca… you hear… me…… et out no………..the program… alter… Everythi…………ill you."**

"Sounds like an invitation to leave to me. Cyberdramon!"

"The battle continues!"

"No, it doesn't. Now grab Calumon and the girl and let bolt before the get back."

Cyberdramon obeyed begrudgingly. Picking up his partner first, then Calumon, then a curiously familiar girl dressed in a gothic style black dress with ankhs embroidered on the bottom. She had pale blond hair to match her complexion tied up in pig tails and long black leggings. The brown haired boy cradled her head in an attempt to make her as comfortable as humanly possible.

"This is weird…" Ryo muttered. "That voice… it sounded familiar this time. And this girl, I can almost swear I've seen her before. What the heck is going on here…?"

Ryo sat back trying to get his thoughts in order. Unfortunately he didn't have anywhere nearly enough pieces of the puzzle. Everything from the unique looking girl in his lap, to the various voices, to the Digimon that not even he could stop, it was just one big jumble of seemingly unrelated factors.

"Ryo!"

"Huh?"

The Tamer leaned over Cyberdramon's hand. He knew that voice, it was Seiko! The girl was screaming helplessly bound in DexDorugoramon's hand.

"He did she… Dammit. This has got to be another one of his tricks. There's no way Seiko could've gotten this far after the commotion I caused."

"No it's not. It's really me Ryo! I can prove it, you were looking for Cyberdramon earlier today."

"Anyone who knows anything about me would know that! You'll have to do better."

"Ummm, when you woke up you were delirious. You called me Rika and tried to get fresh with me so I punched you."

"Seiko…?"

"It's really me Ryo, please help." The girl whimpered.

"Cyberdramon!"

The Legendary Tamer tried to give the signal for his partner to return to battle. He just couldn't leave someone alone like that. Even if they were suppose to be data. So were so were Digimon. They were both alive, and more importantly the child could never turn his back on someone in need, not willingly anyway.

Unfortunately it was too late Cyberdramon burst through the exit and into the open air above Shinjuku Park. The boy clenched his fist and remained silent for a moment… He could not believe that just happened. He had to do something… he had to go back for her.

"Were dropping off the girl and Calumon. They should be safe in Guilmon's shed for a little while. If we don't make it back in time Takato should drop by and he'll know what to do."

"Were returning to the fight?" Asked Cyberdramon, a hint of enjoyment hiding in his tone of voice.

"You bet buddy, and this time were not letting them go. Not after that."

The duo were back in the tunnel in no time. You'd think with the lack of sleep, the lack of food, and nearly being plowed into digi-dust Ryo would've been slowing them down. But their emotional state was more than compensating for any physical abnormalities.

"This time we'll Biomerge before we enter."

"Wait Stop!"

Ryo reached for his digivice when another hand yanked him back. And forced him to the ground.

"Don't go back in there, it's over if you do."

"Huh?!" The boy looked at the damn annoyance that was holding him back, wondering why Cyberdramon wasn't do anything. "Shi- Shibumi…?"

An older man with worn looking eyes and an unkempt appears slowly pulled his weary body back to it's feet. "It's… been a while hasn't it."

"Yeah… Wait, why did you stop me?"

"Because…" The older man stopped, unsure of how to explain it. "There's… something in there. Something very odd, and thanks to Calumon, very powerful. I don't know much, but I know if you go in there right now, while it's waiting for you, you won't come back out."

"But I-"

"No buts. The only reason you made it this time was because I managed to stall the program for you." Shibumi explained. Suddenly a light went on in Ryo's head. The reason the last voice was so familiar, it was Shibumi's.

"But… Seiko."

"Is no more. The entire area reformatted after you left. Her program was only there to bait you. I'm… sorry. I know you did the best you could…"

Ryo lowered his eyes saying nothing. Did he actually just fail in saving someone. That… brought back a few unpleasant memories. He wasn't sure what else he could do. Actually, scratch that, there nothing else he could do, and that was what was really bothering him. Even with his last friend… the one that once took an attack that was meant for the Tamer himself, he was hurt for a while, but he came out of it. Seiko didn't have that chance.

"Ryo, are you alright?"

"No…" The boy murmured quietly, still feigning his usual smile. "I think… I'm going to just head home… Do you know anything else about the Digital Field? Like maybe what caused it."

Shibumi shook his head. "I'm sorry. I've been analyzing the field but everything I've found is superficial, disappearing during the next reformat."

Nodding, Ryo climbed up to his feet shrugging off the exhaustion for just a little longer. Quietly he grabbed Cyberdramon's hand and began pulling him along with him/using him for support. The beast type growled lightly at the notion of leaving the battle behind.

"…You might want to inform Yamaki. I'll let the other Tamers know when I see them."

Shibumi nodded. "Thanks, I'll do that."

It wasn't until the partners were outside and Cyberdramon was flying his human counterpart home that the boy began to feel an odd twinge in the back of his mind.

"Hey Cyberdramon… Do you have the idea that we're forgetting something?"

"The battle continues while we run away." The Ultimate answered. Ryo sighed. His partner still wanted another crack at DexDorugoramon.

"I know. The battle isn't over, it's just been rescheduled." Ryo said, placating his partner. "And next time, we'll make sure they're on our turf."

* * *

All right, sorry this took so long but I'm incredibly lazy, my others hobbies have been getting more active, and my computer reformatted twice…. Ya I know. Reviews are in my profile, take care. Oh and some of you may notice that Dorumon's attack changed. I it did on the site I used, I don't know why, but I decided to switch it because cannon sounds more brutal than ball. 


	10. Chapter 10

**After Thoughts

* * *

**

Ryo groaned loudly as his body began to stir. It would have been nice to get a few more hours of shut eye in before he got up to do… anything. Unfortunately a pesky white claw wouldn't let him. The boy opened his eyes wearily to see Guilmon looming over him, his expression stuck somewhere between concern and curiosity.

"Hi Mister Ryo. You look really sleepy."

_Mister?_

The Tamer didn't pay him any attention, but rather rolled his head around looking at the rest of the saurian little shack until his eyes fell on Cyberdramon. He was hunched in the corner flexing his claws at Guilmon, a warning to leave his tamer alone. The lovable dinosaur was happily oblivious.

"Hey Cyber… You take care of the girl in black?"

"She's at the hospital."

"They took her in?"

"I made sure they did." The dragon replied lowly.

"I hope you stuck around too then to make sure she didn't wander out or anything."

The dragon paused, his silence answering Ryo's question for him. His experience in the human world was limited and he hadn't even considered such a thing.

"Guess not." Ryo said to himself as he peeled himself off the ground and slumped against the wall, finally bringing his attention to Guilmon. "How's it going, boy?"

Guilmon tilted his head for a second before letting a dinosaurs sized smile cross his face. "Great! Usually I have to wait for Takato until I have to play but now you're here!"

"That so… hey, you got any food. I kinda skimped on the last… dozen meals or so."

The Dinosaur shook his head and Ryo let out a sigh. Guess he'd haft to wait for their fearless leader to show up. Not that he minded Takato's company, but he had already decided he was going to check on that girl before he did anything else today. Ms. Asagi was not going to be happy with his tardiness… maybe he should take the day off school. He probably smelled rank after all that time in the digital field without any proper grooming facilities.

Ryo yawned tiredly taking a moment to admiring the rising sun. One of the other Tamers should be along shortly. He still wasn't sure what do with Calumon. Namely, he wasn't sure it was safe to leave the little bugger in Jeri's care anymore. Not with… Whatever was hunting him still out there.

_What was that anyway? Is that Digital Field just one big trap, or did something get control of it. That place is just one mystery after another… But either way, that place isn't safe to enter alone._

The Tamer grinned a moment, silently picturing how he was going to explain that concept to Rika. He could almost picture her, one of the toughest of all Tamers being told she needed a bodyguard. She wasn't gonna like that, we'll at least not at first.

Ryo flopped back on the ground and began drifting off again until he heard footsteps, actually there was quite a few of them. Didn't Kazu and Kenta usually stop by in the morning as well to work on their card skills? The boy didn't have to wait long to find out. Guilmon charged the gate and pounced Takato before he even cleared the stairs. The hysterical laughter of the child's two friends was soon to follow. Ryo smiled, even though the noise wasn't quite appreciated, it was good to hear their voices again, laughing and having fun.

Takato charged into shed a second later dropping off the bags of goodies. He was in such a rush he almost missed Ryo propping himself up in the corner. "Ryo?"

"Hey Goggles. Thanks for the food. I'm famished."

"Ryo, what happened to you?"

"Nothing, you should see the other guy." The legendary Tamer grinned a little bit in spite of himself, then stopped when he noticed Kazu and Kenta had join in staring him down. None of them were laughing.

"Alright, alright, I got jumped in the Digital Field but as you can see, I made it out. I slept here because I don't have my De-Digivolution or any other sort of card on me and Dad's reaction to Cyberdramon has never been anything short of… Well, let's just say I got more sleep here than I would've at home."

"Uhh, I think I have one at home…" Kenta offered.

"Where'd you get that?" Kazu asked curiously, still not taking his eyes off Ryo though.

"Back when the card game first came out. You tricked me into trading with a MagnaAngemon Card."

Ryo sweat dropped. His friends were giving him such odd stares, almost as if they were afraid of him he must've really been a mess. "Thanks Kenta, that's be a huge help. Oh and I found Calumon as well."

Ryo motioned over to the corner of the room where the concentrated cuteness lay, blowing nose buddle bigger than his own head. It seemed almost criminal to wake him up at this point, so he was left sleeping.

"It looks like something really did kidnap him. I'm not sure if it's the best idea to have him wandering around right now."

"'Something'… that's descriptive." Kazu chuckled. Kenta gave him a light jab in the ribs. "Dude, what? It was a joke."

"Actually I don't think it is." Ryo scratched his head a little sheepishly. "I didn't get out on my own, you know. Shibumi used some kind of program… around with the Digital Field. I was getting my butt handed to me… again."

"Shibumi's back?"

Ryo nodded. "Yeah but don't ask me where he is right now. I've gone five days with very little food and sleep. I past out as soon as I hit the dirt."

"Five days?" Kenta repeated. "You looked fine the other four. Well, maybe a little tired but-"

"Other four?" Now it was Ryo's turn to be confused. "I haven't seen you guys in almost a week."

"Dude, we saw you yesterday." Kazu waved his hand dismissively. "You sure you didn't just dream the other four? Like maybe you got hit on the head or something."

The Tamer exchanged glances with his partner. Cyberdramon wasn't any help, he was out cold and imprisoned for most the time Ryo was in the Digital field. He had no concept of how much time had past. Silently the boy shook his head. He was too tired to press the issue right now.

"Yeah, maybe that was it… But still what are we going to do about Calumon?"

"Maybe you should talk it over with Jeri." Takato suggested

Ryo frowned. "Yeah Except I already have errands to run. I don't think I'm going to class today."

"No sweat dude. I'll cover for ya." Kazu pumped his fist. "You look like you could use a few hours to yourself, no offence."

"None taken."

"I'll just tell her you got your legs broken by a whatevermon and she'll leave you alone till your ready to graduate… or at least until she see you in public."

Ryo sweatdropped, the feelings of exasperation coming back on him. "Riiiight. Takato, can I count on you to make sure he doesn't do anything to..."

"Stupid?" Kenta offered, earning himself a shot in the arm.

"I was going to say drastic, but that works too."

"No problem. We've dealt with Ms. Asagi before. Once I even managed to sneak Guilmon on her bus for a field trip with Henry's class. She was never the wiser… Ummm, are you going to be alright?"

Ryo smiled a bit. How long was it since he had a comrade worry about him like this? Not since the good old days with Veemon and… Well... "Ya, I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look. You guys should probably get going. From what I hear your teach can be really strict."

"Ahh she's had it out for me ever since that day one." Kazu scratched his head. "I don't even remember what I did to tick her off."

"I think you started talking." Kenta said with a smirk backing off the side in case Kazu heard him. "Oh Ryo, Are you gonna be set for tonight?"

"Tonight?" Ryo arched a brow.

"The tournament dude!" Kazu exclaimed. "You said you lost your cards right? Me and Kenta got tons of spares so drop by later and we'll set you up."

Takato sweatdropped a little. "But… we don't have to go still if you don't want to."

Ryo grinned. "What and let Rika and Henry have all the fun. Sorry, but it'll take more than a just a near death experience to make me pass up a shot at wildcat."

"Alright." Takato relented. "Why don't you drop by my house so we can prepare?"

"Because he's coming over to my house so I can set him up with all my best cards." Kazu shouted.

"Your best cards?" Kenta raised an eye skeptically "You mean the ones you put in a lockbox and then lost?"

"I didn't lose them!" Kazu retorted. "I buried them underneath my mom's rose garden and she tried to burn them… twice."

"Thanks for the offer, but if all my cards come from you you'll know exactly what I'll be playing in the tournament."

"Well, ya… but I won't tell anyone. Honest."

Ryo chuckled. "Sorry Kazu, I'll see you later tonight."

"Aww dude."

With that Kazu began to leave to leave, dragging Kenta with him. Takato waved by a moment later as Ryo helped himself to more of the bread while Guilmon looked on in awe that a human could digest so much so quickly. The saurian was just about to start digging himself when a peculiar sent caught his nose. It was familiar… but rare, and upon following the scent he found it originated from Ryo.

"Umm, can I help you with something Guilmon?"

The dinosaur tilted his head for a second as if wondering how Ryo could miss it, the scent was so obvious to him, but, maybe the bread was masking it. "Mr. Ryo, you're bleeding."

"Oh that. It's just a couple scratches. Nothing to get worried over."

"But-"

"Relax. I'm on my way to the hospital soon anyway. They don't hurt that much and I've certainly had worse."

Ryo grabbed a few more pieces of bread, but it was hard to enjoy them with Guilmon giving him the puppy dog eyes. Sighing the Tamer forced himself up to his feet. "Fine, I'm going. Cyberdramon, you mind watching Calumon in case that goon comes back."

"Hmph, you want me to sit and wait…" The Ultimate stated, his tone of voice filled with objections.

"Heh, you're more likely to find an opponent with him than with me. I'll be back soon so try to stay out of trouble."

Cyberdramon grunted reluctantly as Ryo left the gate, his eyes eventually falling on Guilmon who was staring at the much larger dragon innocently.

"…What?!"

Guilmon grinned widely. "Wanna play hide and go seek?"

Cyberdramon growled again and turned away, seemingly resigning himself to his current fate.

_It's going to be a long day._

Elsewhere down the road, one Legendary Tamer was minding his own business, for once grateful at the lack of action. Today however, he was about to start enjoying himself a little more, as luck would have it, his pathway to the hospital crossed over someone else path, a certain fiery haired girl with a personality to match. Her back was still facing him, she didn't realize he was there at the moment. Of course, Ryo wouldn't let a chance like this go to waste.

"Rika! Imagine meeting you here."

The girl in question froze and you could almost see the tingle climb up her spine. "…Akiyama."

"So that's what you look like in a skirt. Pardon me a moment while I commit it to memory."

"Stop talking, it doesn't suit you." Rika responded coldly, still not having bothered to turn around.

"And a pleasure to see you, wildcat. Mind if I walk you to school, since were both heading the same way I mean."

The girl sighed a moment. There were so many openings in that last line she didn't even know where to start. "Akiyama, I'm going to class. If you want to follow me I can't help that, but I think that makes you a stalker. What happened to your' own class anyway."

"I'm skipping today. I need to stop by the hospital."

Now that earned a reaction out of the Digimon Queen. Glancing back, she finally took a good look at Ryo. His body was covered from head to two in scratches, and most of his clothes had been torn at least around the edges. His usually perfect hair was a massive tangle and his even his body language told her of his fatigue. Now it wasn't often Rika felt pity for someone, it usually required special circumstances, something that would alter the core of their personality, like Jeri becoming depressed, Henry losing his calm, or Ryo looking… fragile? She almost regretted her greeting towards him… almost.

On this flipside Ryo was becoming increasingly uncomfortable under her stare. "What's wrong Wildcat? Can't take your eyes off of me?"

"Hmph." Immediately the pity disappeared. If he was well enough to talk like that he couldn't have been hurt too badly. Still, she did afford him the chance to catch up with her. "Watch it Ryo or I'll give you a _real_ reason to go to the hospital."

"Oh, I'm not going for myself." The Tamer replied casually. "I'm going for the damsel in distress I found the other night."

"Damsel? Does this mean your finally going to start leaving me alone." Rika began to crack a smile, as if she didn't know the answer.

"Not a chance. We have too much history."

"…Of you getting on my nerves."

"I like to call it bonding."

Rika frowned. "You can call it whatever you want, it doesn't change what it is."

After being shut down pretty much completely they walked a little more in silence. Rika still stole casual glances of her fellow Tamer though, taking in his rundown appearance one piece at a time. What exactly happened to him anyway?

"I hope you at least found Calumon. My night was a bust."

"Naturally. He was sleeping at Guilmon's shed with me, like a baby last time I saw him." Ryo stretched broadly. "I was amazed really, that ground isn't very forgiving, and Guilmon snores."

"Why didn't you just go home, or stay at the hospital with your girlfriend?"

Ryo chuckled. "Sorry, but falling asleep in public doesn't suit me. I have an image to maintain you know."

"Yeah." Rika grumbled sarcastically. "I can see that."

"And as for going home… Well, between Cyberdramon and my current state, I somehow didn't think we'd be too welcome."

"Don't be so melodramatic. He's your dad, he wouldn't leave you out on the street."

"Not me. But Cyberdramon… He still doesn't understand why I have to do this, and frankly I get the idea that it wouldn't be such a stretch for him to make me choose. And… well, what I am still talking for? I'm sure you had a few run-ins with your family about this too."

Rika glanced over to Ryo out of the corner of his eye and decided not to comment on that. Actually her family accepted Renamon quite well. It was various other… issues that had been disagreeing on before. In truth most of the Tamers did pretty well with their family. Henry had his fathers support, and it wasn't until later that his mother found out. Takato's parents did quite well… after the initial freak out. In truth Ryo's situation reminded her quite a bit of Jeri's.

"Which would you choose?" Rika asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

It was indeed a rare occurrence that the Digimon Queen was actually listening to what came out of Ryo's mouth, then again, it was also a rare occurrence she deemed the child star as having anything important to say.

"Like you even have to ask." Ryo responded confidently. His hand falling to rest and his Digivice, still attached to his belt.

The girl smiled slightly, trying not to let him see it. "Then you'll be fine."

Rika paused a moment, the next line out of her mouth could potentially be disastrous if she said it and Ryo got the wrong idea. Plus, she didn't want him to get the idea that she liked him, even a little. Still. taking on more looked at the Tamer's ragged appearance, she decided she should say it anyway. Even if he did get the wrong idea, she could handle him no problem?

"Next time Ryo…" This girl began.

"Huh?"

"Next time you get stuck like that you can use my place if you have too."

"Y-your place?"

Rika frowned. She knew it, he was already getting the wrong idea. "Yes, my place. There's no reason for you to sleep in the dirt. And we already have one expected guest so it would be easy to pair you up with him. Plus our yard is big enough that even Cyberdramon can hide their without causing a panic."

Ryo looked for the words to express his gratitude, but was instead overcome with the fear that hell might just be freezing over finally. "..."

"Hmph. Don't get excited yet. There's some ground rules you have to follow first."

"Naturally." Ryo replied trying not to sound so… happy about this.

"First of all, don't come in by yourself. If it's late, then let Renamon know. You should understand this by now but I don't like surprises."

The boy nodded. That was a good one.

"Second of all, if you come anywhere near my room, you'll wish you were back in the Digital Field."

_Somehow I doubt that._ Ryo thought to himself smiling a little too widely.

"You're not allowed come over unless you're injured. If something isn't broken, then I'll break it myself."

Ryo bid her another nod, while silently wonder if Rika would actually follow through on that. He had never seen her actually hit one of the other Tamers, although she carried enough presence to send most of them running with a single piercing glare.

"And finally, just because I agree to put you up every once in a while, doesn't mean I like you, so don't get any funny ideas."

"Wouldn't dream of it Wildcat."

Rika shot back a glare at the use of her nickname and Ryo wisely understood that maybe this wasn't the time to be pushing his luck with her, as endearing as her reactions were. Down the street, Rika's school finally came into view, Looking pretty much like what you'd expect of a private school, old and stuffy with the main entrance defended by iron bars. A set of three girls standing by the gate took one look in their direction and quickly ran inside.

Ryo arched a brow. _Friends of hers?_

"Ahh well looks like this is where we part ways. I'll see you at the tournament and, uh, thanks Wi… err Rika. I really owe you one."

"Hmph, whatever. If you really wanna repay me then just make sure you're at the tournament tonight so I can wipe that smug look off your face."

Ryo nodded taking off into a light sprint to put some distance between himself and Rika. "I'll be there. See ya Wildcat."

The girl groaned inwardly before casting her eyes to the sky. "Stupid Ryo. And it was turning out to be such a nice day too."

Slowly a smile retuned to her lips though as the concept of thumping him in front of thousands of people in the tournament returned to her lips. Not only that, but there was another surprise that she had just discovered this morning. Her grandmother, Seiko and mother Rumiko were going to be attending as well. This was almost a momentous occasion for her. No family member had even the notion of getting involved with Digimon before. To be honest, it was enough to make even Rika nervous for reasons she herself didn't quite understand.

_Calm down. It's just another tournament. I've beaten dozens before, without even breaking a sweat… So why does this one feel so different…_

Rika didn't have time to process the question. Classes were soon to begin and she was going to be late if she didn't get herself in gear.

Over the next few hours many of the others Tamers were preparing for the tournament as well in their own little way. Everything to memorizing cards and strategies (Rika and Henry's method of practicing) Too pressing a favorite Digimon card to your forehead invoking the sovereigns for the power to smite thy enemies. (Kazu's method of practicing) Unfortunately one of them was doing it during Ms Asagi's class and had to forego his lunch period.

Since it was the first time they would all be competing together like this everyone wanted to put their best foot forwards. A pesky rumor that the real live Tamers, not to mention the Digimon King AND Queen were going to participate had caused increased the popularity of this particular tournament quite a bit. And Rika's family weren't the only special guests. Ayaka was coming along as well to support Jeri and scream at Kazu. A few other girls were eager to see the legendary Ryo in action, and even Beat had approached Rika during recess and asked if she could come along. It was going to be a full house.

It was ironic though. With so many people looking forward to the tournament, you'd think that the one with the most on the line would be practically all consumed by it. And yet, in reality, it was the furthest thing from Ryo's mind. His thoughts were concentrated on the girl in room 502. Who she was, whether she was alright, or worse, what they were going to do with her if she was?

_Well hopefully I can get Yamaki to take care of the hospital bill… Hey maybe I can stick her in his house. _Ryo thought jokingly.

Ryo glanced at the clock and frowned before turning back to the girl, she had been switched from her black dress into a much less striking pale blue hospital gown. It was almost time for Takato to get out of school and for himself to leave. He had tried nudging the girl a few times, but so far she seemed almost catatonic. At least the doctors said she was fine.

…_What am I doing here… There's nothing I can do just standing around except to watch. If I this was all I missed school for then I should've at least brought Calumon with me… I must be having a heck of an off day._

Quietly Ryo turned and started for the doorway, almost yelling out in shock when Takato turned out to be directly behind him.

"Takato?! Wow, you can be pretty stealthy when you want to be… What brings you here? School should have just finished. And I can't imagine Ms. Asagi letting you out for the tournament."

"Tournament?" The gogglehead scratched his head nervously. "Right. Sorry Ryo, I think you were zoning out. And as for school, me, Kazu, and Kenta snuck out a little early so we could do a little extra preparation."

"You guys are incorrigible." Ryo laughed a little. "But coming here doesn't exactly qualify as practice." Ryo grinned.

"Au contraire." Takato replied holding up a set of neatly bundled cards and passing them off to Ryo. "I got your deck set up already. Take a look."

The legendary Tamer sifted through a few of them, noting that they were actually pretty good cards.

_Hey a goliath card, just like I used to use. Looks like he's updated his card collection since the Digital World. Heh, there's even a Cyberdramon Card._

On the other side of the room Takato was making a visual survey of the newest surprise to enter into his life as of recently. "So this is the girl you found in the Digital Field… She seems familiar."

"You think so too? I know what you mean but I just can't seem to place it. Oh, if it helps she was wearing a black gothic dress when I found her."

"Goth dress…" The gogglehead repeated pressing his hand up to his chin. "Hmmm…"

"Something coming back to you?"

The mop-haired boy waited a few more seconds trying to put together a word picture, but eventually seemed to fall short. "Sorry, nothing."

Ryo sighed. "Man, I like our job better when we just have to stomp the bad guys."

Takato chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get your chance soon enough."

Nodding, Ryo started for the door. "Alright, let's get a move on. The officials will probably want us to be there ahead of time."

"Err, right. Lead the way."

Ryo snickered a little. Usually the Gogglehead would barely be able to contain his excitement and have gone running off ahead by now. Oh well, the child was apparently full of surprises. Even having that goliath card, that was no easy card to get… actually…exactly when did he get it. He'd never seen him play it during any of the matches between him and Kazu…

_Ahhh what am I thinking… probably just new, or maybe he borrowed it from Henry._

The Tamers entered the elevator Ryo concerns only seem to intensify. He couldn't really place it but something seemed off. And while there were a million possible explanations for such minor things, they did little to relax the legendary Tamer.

_I wonder how he snuck past Ms. Asagi anyway… And knowing Kazu and Kenta… wouldn't they have come with him…maybe. And I know I said I was going to check on the new girl, but that was hours ago, how did he know I would still be here? _

Ryo shook his head.

_Something… feels wrong. Ahh just ask him to clue you in a bit, you guys are friends now right._

Nodding to himself Ryo raised his voice. "Hey Takato, so fill me in. How did you sneak past Ms. Nami without earning yourself a permanent detention…?"

"…"

" Takato?"

Ryo glanced behind him, wondering about the stalled response, only to find he was the only one in the elevator.

_Now I'm really confused. I'm positive he stepped in the elevator with me…_

Ryo glanced back ahead thoughtfully as he waited for the elevator to come a stop, relaxing a little once again with the hum of the elevator. Just above the door the designations of all the floors passed by.

_Patient's Ward…_

_Chemotherapy…_

_That's the second time a miracle saved you, Ryo!_

"Wait, what the?"

_Main office…_

Ryo's mouth was still hanging open when the doors slid open. Did he… really just see that? No way, that had to be a trick. He was tired, hadn't been sleeping well. As convincing as it may be it was still just a…

"Ryo? What are you still doing here?"

The Tamer glanced down, adding one more level to his confusion. His head was now filled with so many inconsistencies it felt like it might explode. There, right before him, and acting as if nothing were wrong, was Takato. But what did he mean 'What are you still doing here?', they had just met two seconds ago. And not only that, but he didn't look a bit out of breathe, which you think he would be if he took the stairs to beat the elevator.

"Takato…?" Ryo asked, still stunned at the child's little magic trick.

The gogglehead tilted his head, as if he didn't understand his friends bewilderment, then suddenly it dawned on him. "Oh right, what am _I_ doing here? Well I was kinda curious about the girl you saved so I thought I'd just pop in. How many girls could've been admitted here over the last twelve hours?"

"But you just…" Ryo paused seeing the confused expressions already starting to return to Takato's face. "Never mind…You do realize you can't just request information about a random person if you aren't family, right."

Takato facefaulted. "Ummm, actually, no, I didn't. Guess I really lucked out that you're still here huh?"

Ryo sighed. Normally he would be able to take the younger Tamer's lapse in judgment with his normal good humor, but the strange things that had been plaguing him were beginning to take there toll. "Come on, I'll show you where she is. Maybe you'll be able to identify her this time."

"This time?" Takato repeated, not understanding his comrade's comment, but following him anyway.

Ryo spun around, casually jamming his hand back into his pocket, his mind still trying to decipher what was happening to him… A second later he noticed it. His pockets were now empty. Didn't the Takato upstairs just give him a deck. So where was it? Ryo glanced around the floor, looking to see if he dropped it when he got out of the elevator, no luck.

"Hey a Digimon card. Aww nuts, it's ruined."

Ryo jerked his head over to Takato's direction and watched as he picked up what appeared to be two cards from the floor in the corner of the elevator. Actually, scratch that, it was only one card torn in half… A Cyberdramon card?

Takato frowned. "Someone should really take better care of these."

_That's the second time a miracle saved you, Ryo!_

Those words resounded in the boy head for a moment. Was someone trying to send him a message? If they were they were doing a pretty good job about being discreet about it.

"Sorry Takato, I got another errand to run."

"Eh?"

The Legendary Tamer had already done a one-eighty and was heading for the door. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about leaving Cyberdramon alone with Calumon at the moment. "I'll see you at the tournament. As for my deck, just bring whatever cards you think I'd like."

"Wait Ryo! How am I suppose to find the room on my own?" Takato called out as the glass doors to the entrance of the building slid closed…

Apparently he wasn't heard. "Aww nuts…"

* * *

"…**A tournament huh…? And me without an invitation."**

"**Are you so desperate to push your luck? They almost caught you."**

"**First of all, they were not even close. Second of all, if they did, I would've killed them. Haven't you noticed how often they travel without their partners? They think they've beaten the worst of it already. Ryo's the only one that's even remotely aware of me."**

"…**It's a tag tournament in front of hundreds maybe even thousands of people. Can you avoid detection like that? Actually, never mind that. Even if you go, who exactly are you planning to make your partner."**

"**Hmmm, someone who is… pathetic, I think."**

"**You want to lose?"**

"**Hmph! You mean you can't tell?"**

"**An aggressive monster like you? ****...I can never tell…"**


	11. Chapter 11

**After Thoughts**

* * *

"Excuse me, pardon me." Ryo pushed his way through the crowd of spectators, making an admirable effort not to knock anyone over or step on any toes. Everything with Cyberdramon seemed fine. Although Calumon was oddly still asleep. Wasn't he supposed to have more energy than… well… a doormat? Honestly though, thoughts of Calumon were taking a distant backseat to everything else that was going on.

The child slowed his pace. He should have been looking for his partner in the tournament and getting a hold of his deck, but he needed to get his thoughts in order.

Starting from when he woke up, no even before that. The day he returned was the same day he left, just several hours later. So how much time actually passed in the Digital Field. Ryo remember distinctly the nights in that war zone… The cold air, the rough ground, And Seiko. They would huddle close together to keep warm at first, later Ryo would become uncomfortable at the awkwardness of the situation and move to the other side of the alley during the night. She was there in the morning too. Making sure he got up early and prodding him to come help her acquire more rations.

Unfortunately he was the only one aware of the time that passed in there. Cyberdramon was out cold after that fight with… that dragon. Calumon had yet to wake out and the girl and black… Could she have caused this? Ryo sighed. That couldn't be possible. Even if by some miracle she had such power she was completely unconscious as well.

_Maybe it was… Nah, I would've noticed if __**he**__ had returned… Or Cyberdramon would've._

Next there was Rika being nice to him, even offering him a place to stay if he needed it. That was definitely suspicious, but he could spend days trying to analyze that one and still never come up with anything. Plus, why look a gift horse in the mouth?

Finally there was the trip at the hospital. The deck he _didn't_ receive, the torn card, the phrase above the elevator, And Takato… The card could've just been a coincidence, and the threat in the elevator, maybe his imagination was playing a trick on him. He wasn't really paying attention anyway. But that deck, it felt so real, he remembered it so well the thickness, the weight of it in his pocket. It was nostalgic, partly because it had so many similar cards that Ryo had…

The legendary Tamer paused for a second, going through all the cards he remembered seeing.

_Wait a minute… That WAS my deck! Argh, this doesn't make any sense._

Ryo clenched his fist, not even realizing the tension inside him was building. He lost his deck, didn't he? If he still had it on him than why did it disappear? Was he not only seeing things but feeling them as well. And the Takato upstairs, his disappearance, his slightly off behavior, like a cheap copy. Whether it was a hallucination or something else, one fact seemed to be clear. Whoever was with him and the little goth girl, it wasn't Takato.

_I need a vacation… darnnit! I am way to young to be saying that._

Ryo glanced up. His thoughts were in order, but he still didn't know what to make of them. Maybe he'd ask Henry about it later. He still needed to warn them about the possible new dangers of the Digital Field anyway.

The Tamer began to start on his way again, suddenly becoming aware that some people, mostly kids his own age were staring at him and a few were pointing. Looks like his reputation preceded him.

"Guess who!"

"Huh?" Ryo blinked as his vision suddenly became cut off. Someone was covering his eyes from behind, and it wasn't very hard to figure out who, given the childish giggle that immediately followed.

"Hey Jeri. A word of advice, if you want to play that game you might want to at least take the sock puppet off your hand."

"Awww, your no fun."

Ryo chuckled as his vision was restored. Jeri's good mood was infectious. "Glad to see I'm not the only one who's late."

"Ha, don't lump us in with the likes of the goof troop." Another girl said, standing right next to Jeri. She was dressed nicely in a navy blue skirt and pink sweater, with pigtails and a somewhat stuck up pose. "We got here half an hour ago, but Jeri wanted to find you and thank you for saving Calumon. He's important, right?"

"We heard you were a mess this morning…" Jeri said, a hint of worry bleeding into her voice. "…Er! But, you seem alright now."

Ryo smiled confidently as he folded his arms. "It was nothing. I faced that kind of stuff all the time when I was in the Digital World."

Even though Ryo said that, honestly it was very rare things got that bad. Off the top of his head he could only think of one creature that had put him through anywhere near that kind of trouble.

"And Ayeka! Good to see you. Ummm… Goof troop?"

Jeri let out a childish giggle to herself. "That's what she calls Kazu, Takato, and Kenta… Although I still think _one_ of those should be left out."

The pigtailed girl grinned. "Sorry, even if he's saved the city a couple times, he still acts like a goof. I have a hard time picturing him doing half the stuff you say he did."

Ryo nodded, having a pretty good idea who they were talk about. "Speaking of which… Have either of you seen Takato. I still need to get my deck from him."

The girls traded glances for a moment before they both began giggling. "Last I saw him he was talking about a craving for something called… Guilmon bread?"

Jeri giggled at her friends confusion.

"Got it, food court. I… still don't know where that is. Either of you ladies care to escort me?"

"Sure, I'd be glad too." Jeri lunged forward and clamped onto Ryo's arm as she began maneuvering him through the waves of people in a rush as Ayaka followed close behind. And no wonder, it was almost time for the match up to begin.

Inside the building only seemed to get bigger. Although thankfully the crowd was dispersing. Through the doorways that led to the main area where the battles would be taking place, Ryo could see a bunch of tables being set up and more than a few fellow card players practicing with each other. There was even a bunch of TVs set up above the main podium. It had been a while since Ryo had been to one of the places, and the feeling of nostalgia was… refreshing.

"Hey guys!"

Ryo glanced behind him catching a glimpse of Kenta as the child weaved between members of the crowd toward his friend. "Hey, Kenta. What's got you all worked up?"

"You'll never believe it. I ran into a guy here whose partner cancelled on him. Now WE'RE going to be partners."

Before Ryo could respond, another voice rang out. "Dude you just invited yourself to get violently worked by yours truly."

"Kazu…" Ryo chuckled at his fanboy's confidence as the teen terror stepped out from behind Kenta. "Glad to see you two are doing well."

"Ditto." Kazu stated frankly.

"You, really looked bad there for a while." Kenta added.

Ryo shook his head. "Just a few superficial cuts and bruises, I'm fine really."

"Still…" Kazu shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "It was weird seeing you like that, you know."

"Tell you what." Ryo started. "Next time, you guys can come with me."

"R-Really, you mean it?!" Kenta half asked, half shouted.

"Of course."

"Dude, that'll be sweet." Turning on a dime and raising his hand the Visor boy exchanged high-fives with his best friend.

"I hope you don't mind boys, but we're looking for Takato." Ayaka grumbled. Just watching Kazu was making her tired.

"Yeah yeah. I think I saw him on the other end of arena grabbing some grub. Probably going to take it outside given how much they were getting."

Ryo nodded as Kazu took the lead in escorting everyone around the arena, eventually stopping by the back door which opened up into a small field. Henry and Rika were engaged in a Digimon battle. A few feet away, there was Takato laying flat on the grass with a forlorn expression on his face while a large girl Ryo had never seen before dressed in oddly familiar school uniform prodded the child gently. You could tell he just lost to Rika a few second earlier.

"Who's she?"

Kazu just shrugged. "Beats me, came with Rika I think. Dude she's huge."

"Kazu!" Ayaka jammed her elbow into the boys ribs hard enough to make him keel over. "It's rude to comment on a girl's size."

"…Ergh, the pain."

"Serves you right."

Meanwhile Jeri had gone over and joined the uniformed girl and joined her in poking Takato. Oddly enough though her touch seemed to lift his spirits while the large girl sulked at observing the boy's reaction.

_Now that's interesting… Takato has a new fan?_

"Hey Ryo! Glad to see you made it in time. How did that errand turn out."

A few glances were cast in the direction of the legendary tamer, including one from Rika, although Ryo pretended not to notice. "It turned out to be nothing…"

_Which begs the question, was someone really trying to send me a message or what?!_

"Are you ready to go?" Takato asked.

Ryo nodded as Takato pulled a spare deck from his back pocket.

"Our opponents should be up by now." Henry stated. "The matches begin in fifteen minutes. We should probably wrap this up."

"You asked for it." Rika replied, cracking a grin. The match was over in the following few seconds.

"…Where did that come from?"

"You didn't think I'd show you my trump cards, did you? That's just scratching the surface of what I have in store for you."

"No…" Henry admitted, gathering his things and picking himself up off the grass. "That's why I kept my trump cards a secret too. Thanks Rika, it's good to know you have those cards."

"Eh?" The red-haired did a double take as Henry headed inside. "Wait, you tricked me?"

"Of course not." The blue haired tamer replied innocently. "We really do have to get going, I just…"

"Took advantage?" Ryo offered.

"Not quite how I would to put it, but yes."

"Hmph, not bad brainiac. I hope you use some of those smarts in the tournament. You might be my only real competition."

Ryo smiled, ignoring the offhanded shot as he went to help Takato and introduce himself to the new girl, apparently named Beatrice. It was a little odd to meet her, she wasn't really what you'd expect from a friend of Rika's, but then again Rika's other friends included a gogglehead, a passive martial artist, and a lethal fox.

_I can only imagine the stories she has of Rika. I'll have to ask later._

Inside things were once again becoming overcrowded. With the teams in place and the matches about to begin everyone was trying to get where they needed to be. Takato, Ryo, Henry, and Kazu were facing new faces. Rika and Jeri on the other hand…

"Hey, we're facing Kenta." Jeri giggled. "Good luck."

Kenta was not so optimistic. He cast one glance at Rika and sweatdropped. "I'm doomed."

The redhead arched a brow. "I didn't even know you were in the Tournament. Sorry four eyes, but you're going down. You and… Idolo?"

"Dude that's such a weird name."

The angel tamer gave his friend a shot in the arm, of which Kazu pretended it didn't hurt at all. "Hey, he's a really nice guy. He even gave me some of his super rare cards."

"They won't save you." Rika grinned playfully. "Alright boys, try not to get knocked out in the first round."

"U-umm." Beat began turning red as soon as she started speaking. "T-takato. I made a little extra lunch, i-if you want, we can split it w-we can…"

"Hmm? Sounds good." The boy replied happily.

"R-Really?" Beat asked, her voice barely containing her excitement. Off the side side Kazu and Kenta were chuckling like idiots and exchange nudges. Finer ears would've also heard the chant 'Takato's got a girlfriend' coming from their lips.

_Did… Takato just got a date? _Ryo thought to himself. _Heh, I guess he's finally growing up. Will wonders never cease. _

"Yeah. Guilmon eats like a bottomless pit so I'm sure he'd love it."

"Oh…. Right. Guilmon Er, well I'll be routing for you." Beat finished off quickly with a bow a bow and rushed off before the boy could even muster a response.

"Ummm… Gee thanks." The Tamer grinned goofily in response as she sped away.

_Then again… once a gogglehead, always a gogglehead._

"Takato, after the tournament. Permit me to explain a few thing to you about girls." Kazu smirked as he began down the hallway.

"That would imply you know something about them." Ayaka sniped. Henry couldn't help but smile at Rika's reaction. She seemed almost hurt by that. Not by the comment mind you, more the fact someone else said it before her.

"Did I… do something wrong?"

"No!" "Yes!" Kazu Kenta, Jeri and Ayaka all said at the same time. Two seconds later the four were arguing between amongst themselves with Kazu and Ayaka were get ready to floor one another. Seeking a more definitive answer, he turned to the only remaining girl in the group.

"Why are you looking at me?" Rika asked with a tone of annoyance and an expression to match.

"Eh? Well ummm… I was just thinking… that ummm…" The gogglehead rolled his eyes to the ceiling. Right… Rika probably wasn't the best person to ask. "Nevermind."

"Hmph… You're clueless Gogglehead." Rika increased her pace and broke away from the rest of the group. Behind him the mop-haired boy could hear Kazu and Kenta chuckling again.

"Great, now why's _she_ mad at me."

"Forget about it dude. It's Rika, she's always mad at someone or something. It's like she has a daily quota or something."

Henry and Ryo wisely chose to stay out of that conversation. Henry because he wasn't sure anything he could say would help, and Ryo because he was more occupied with familiarizing himself with the new cards Takato had given him. A deck centered around Veemon, obviously a product of the boy's fandom of the second season. Ryo grinned inwardly at the irony.

"_Partners again huh?"_

No sooner had Ryo completed that thought did the group reach the main room. A loud cheer went up as dozens of people recognized the face of the infamous Legendary Tamer who responded in a casual wave. A few more were whistling at Rika, she promptly ignored most of them, but couldn't help but smile when she saw he mother and grandma in the first row.

"Wow… look at all the people." Jeri was in awe of the size of the crowd.

The brown haired girl suddenly felt really silly with the sock puppet still sheltering her hand and pulled it off. Glancing over to her side she was relieved to see she wasn't the only one feeling out of place. Takato looked so stiff that he might break the second he tried to bend a limb.

On her other side Henry was flushed as well, although that might have more to do with the fact that Kazu was hollering like a mad man, basking in the glory of the attention that was obviously meant for Ryo.

As the children set themselves up the matches finally began. Not surprisingly most the Tamers used cards based around their real world partners except for Takato and Ryo. The former decided on using Agumon, partner to his hero, and the bases for Guilmon, while the latter used a borrowed deck based around Veemon. Again, Ryo felt a twinge of irony.

About halfway through the match a very audible groan sounded throughout the area. Something irked the audience and the Gogglehead eagerly glanced around to see what it was. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Rika, Jeri, Kenta, and a stranger being escorted out of the main room.

"They're finished already? Wow."

Ryo smirked. "Those two are really amazing, huh?"

"You said it."

Slowly more and more people exited as the matches ended. Finally Takato and Ryo finished. Henry and Kazu was still doing battle with another pair. It was easy to tell who had the upper hand with the Visor boy already doing his pre-victory dance. It would be over in another minute. Discreet was never a big part of Kazu's vocabulary.

Now that the first round was done to clear out all the riff-raff, the next matches would take place in succession, which meant Takato and Ryo probably had some time before they were needed again. This of course begged the question, should they go can comfort Kenta and get to know his partner perhaps, or congratulate Jeri and Rika on their speedy victory. The two traded glances, almost reading each others minds.

"Jeri and Rika it is."

Now when Takato got back outside, he was expecting a lot of high energy. Smiles, laughing, you know, stuff you usually do when you thump an opponent. Rika at least had made it very clear in the past she liked to win, and who doesn't. This made the scene in front of him rather confusing. Jeri was slumped against the side of the building with Rika resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Ooookay I know they had to thump Kenta to win…" Takato started, turning his gaze to Ryo momentarily. "But I don't think they should be that upset set over it. I mean, Kenta gets whipped all the time. You should see what Kazu does to him sometimes."

While Ryo tried to think of something to say, his fellow Tamer stepped forward almost as though he was being drawn. The Legendary Tamer hung back, although he couldn't pinpoint why. Something about the situation maybe, it was making him feel out of place, like he didn't quite belong. Once glance in Rika's eyes and he figured he had a pretty good idea of what happened, although how that was even possible was beyond him.

"Gogglehead! Good you're here."

Takato raised an eyebrow. It was odd for Rika to accept the boy's presence without some kind of playful remark, and stranger still, did she really just sound… relieved at his arrival?

"Hey Takato." Jeri said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "Did you win?"

"Huh? Well, yeah. Thanks to Ryo."

"That's good... Maybe next time… you should be Rika's partner."

You could almost hear the light go on in Takato's head as he moved his gaze over to Rika.

"Hang on, _you_ lost?"

Jeri flinched. "…"

"Smooth goggles. She's got this crazy idea that we lost because of her even though I keep telling her it's not her fault."

"What happened?" Takato asked still trying to get his head around the fact… Rika lost?! To someone other than Ryo. That's virtually unheard of.

"Kenta's new friend pulled out a card I'd never seen before, it's about as simple as that."

_Well, that explains why Kenta's not here. I bet he's afraid Rika will lose it on him if she catches him._

Takato bent over, still unsure of what to say that Rika already hadn't. Fortunately someone else, who loves to talk even if it's unwanted showed up, and no, it was not Terriermon.

"Kazu and Henry, in the house, kicking butt and taking names."

The door to the stadium flew open as Kazu rushed outside followed by Henry who was traveling at a much more normal pace.

"Hey chumly! Looks like you passed too. And ladies, you guy-er, gals were done in like five seconds. Way to show'em how it done."

Takato spun around and began flailing his arms trying to signal Kazu to stop talking or at least break his train of thought. The machine man Tamer didn't pick up on the intent.

"I mean, I've seen battles end quick before but to be done that quick must've been a total execution. I guess having your family in the audience must've been a sweet incentive. Hey Takato why are you waving your arms like that?"

The gogglehead sighed haplessly and smacked himself in the forehead "Kazu…"

"What?"

"Actually, Rika and Jeri lost." Ryo explained, hoping Kazu would clue in and drop the subject.

Unfortunately, Kazu picked today to be particularly inept.

"Eh? No way, they were facing Kenta. I could beat him if I was blind, deaf, bound and gagged, and hanging upside down."

"Eee" Immediately the gogglehead turned to Jeri, just barely noticing Rika brushing past him. It looked like she was on a death march aimed straight at the Visor child. "Ahh, really, Rika he didn't mean it. I mean, everybody get lucky once in a while.

"Somehow, Takato, I don't think you meant to phrase it like that." Henry murmured quietly.

Rika paused, glancing back at Takato. "I'm really not good with this stuff so… I think I'll leave Jeri to you. I'll be going for a walk."

"Uhh Rika…" Acting on impulse, the mop haired boy took a few steps as if to follow her, before he remembered he still hadn't dealt with the other half of the problem. "Jeri…"

Takato glanced at Henry with a somewhat pleading expression. The half Chinese Tamer understood loud and clear and went to follow Rika. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to her, actually in his own mind he felt perhaps she would be better off working this out for herself. Then again, it couldn't hurt to check.

"Man, guess I got off lucky, huh?"

Henry did a double take before he realized he was being followed. "Kazu? You realize I'm going to see Rika right? Are you sure following me is a good idea."

"Dude, we're partners for about another few hours. I'll be right behind you." The boy replied, inching back a little just for good measure.

"Riiiiiight." Henry rolled his eyes trying to keep himself from smiling. "Still you might want to keep it down a little when I see her."

"Done and done." The child replied as the boys resumed walking. "…Hey Henry."

Henry glanced back. "…?"

"Hey, do you think Rika's mad. I mean, I know she's a little frustrated but she kept it together pretty well when she was with Jeri."

Henry nodded. "Jeri was likely the reason she 'kept it together'. If Rika lost her temper, it would negate everything she said about it being alright and Jeri would feel even worse. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Rika is actually really angry."

Kazu nodded, silently impressed by that insight. "Okay… but then why's _miss_ Katou taking it so hard. She not exactly a Digimon fanatic and she's always been such a good sport when I whoop her in track practice."

"Oh that. Jeri's holding herself responsible so she blames herself for embarrassing Rika in front of so many people, including Rika's mother, and in the first tournament they've ever seen they're daughter play in, no less."

"Dude! Rika's family is here?! How comes no one tells me these things?"

Henry sighed. "I did, when we were practicing today. You were shouting something about how you were the greatest card player in the word."

Kazu sweatdropped. "I think I've done that about five times today…. Which one… was…"

"Forget it."

Henry rounded one of the corners of the building, almost losing Rika behind the one immediately after. He had slowed his pace down so that he wouldn't catch up with her, at least not yet, he was still trying to think of something to say. His thoughts drifted about for a moment, then finally settled on something else, something that oddly had nothing to do with Rika.

"Hey Kazu?"

"What's up?"

"Has your family every come to a tournament?"

Kazu almost burst out laughing. "Man the closest my parents ever get involved with that stuff is when my dad tried to use all my modify cards as kindling on our camping trip…"

"Oh…"

"…Or when my mom mistook Guardromon as a washing machine, don't ask."

Henry sweatdropped, "I wasn't going to… Does it ever bother you?"

Kazu shrugged. "Huh? I dunno. Never really thought about it. I can't really picture my parents taking an active interest in anything I do."

"They don't approve?" Henry ventured.

"Ha, just the opposite. They think being a Tamer is the greatest thing I've ever done. It's just…" Kazu paused, not sure of how to say right. "My family isn't Takato's, or yours."

"…Or mine." Came another voice making Kazu and Henry nearly jump out of their skin. Apparently Rika had hidden behind the next corner and waited for the boys to catch up. At the moment she didn't seem to angry about being followed, heck she wasn't even looking at them. She was calmly leaning against the wall on her back, eyes to the sky in a blissful sort of way.

"Rika… We were… just talking about you."

The vulpine Tamer shifted her gaze slightly. "I heard. Why are you guys following me?"

"Were we? I didn't even notice." Henry responded quickly, averting Rika's stare. "We we're just… ummm." The blue haired Tamer nudged Kazu, pompting him for help.

"Oh… uh, just… looking for Kenta. To uhhh… congratulate him on his victory?" Kazu finished uncertainly.

_Nice Kazu… real nice._

Rika frowned she could almost feel her patients snap as she pushed off the wall and face her friends in a full on glare. Wasn't it bad enough they felt they had to babysit her like some spoilt brat? Apparently not, since they felt they need to lie about it as well.

"The Gogglehead sent you after me, didn't he? What's wrong? Is he too busy looking after Jeri to stalk me himself?" The girl cried out angrily. She knew it sounded bad, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Most of her willpower was being used to not pound Kazu into the ground.

Kazu folded his arms behind his head trying to act calm. In actuality beads of sweat were beginning to form just above his brow. "Misplaced aggression much? You almost sound jealous."

Rika's glare was suddenly offset by a slight pinkish hue flooding into her face. "That's it!" Rika took a quick step toward Kazu who hid behind Henry in turn.

Once more Henry took over talking since he seemed to be so much better at it than his temporary partner. "Well… yeah. Sorry Rika, I think he just wanted us to make sure you're okay."

"Hmph. Apparently he doesn't have much faith in me if he thinks a little thing like this will get me down."

"Well, to be fair to chumly, it _was _the first round. And that's kind of unheard of for you."

_Kazu…_

Henry sighed inwardly. He wasn't making things any better and Mr. thick-as-bricks was downright making them worse. "Sorry we bothered you Rika. We'll catch you later."

Henry gave a small wave and began backwards around the stadium while Rika mentally kicked herself for treating him like a common annoyance when he was just trying to be nice. She probably would have let out one of those long forlorn sighs if Kazu wasn't still standing next to her. Actually, he hadn't even bothered to move except for some fidgeting in his pockets… Why wasn't he moving. Hadn't he yapped enough for one day?

"Can I help you with something?" Rika growled. Unlike with Henry, she had no problem displaying her mood to the visor boy.

"Yeah." Kazu responded, seemingly oblivious to the tone. Finally he managed to pull out a small book with the Digimon logo on it. A card index? "I was hoping you could show me which card that kid used to beat the tar out of you?"

"How badly _do_ you want to get hurt today."

"Awww c'mon. If it worked on you then it'll probably work on us too right. I was hoping I could get a heads up."

The red-head rolled her eyes. As annoying as Kazu was he did happen to have a point. And while the girl may not have wanted to be outdone by Kazu, she could still root for her other friends. "Alright dingus, gimme that booklet. And make sure you pass this on to Takato too when he gets a moment."

Kazu obliged and passed it over, along with a pen so Rika could circle the card name and number. But after a few minutes of nothing happening he decided to take a seat.

"Ahhh, I don't mean to be rude but is this gonna take long. I gotta go find check to see if we're up first in the second round."

"If you are, Henry will find you so don't worry." The girl grunted. "…I… Can't seem to find it…"

"What, the card?"

"What else would I be looking for?"

This time it was Kazu's turn to roll his eyes. "Well maybe the card is magical like the blue card and just randomly appears."

A low growl. "Listen dorkus. I called the judge over to check and see if the card was real. It was in _his_ index, between these two effect cards." Rika flipped the book around to show him where. "Maybe your book is just out of date."

"Not possible girly…"

_Did he just call me-_

"I got that book yesterday. Use up me whole allowance… and some of Kenta's but don't tell him that. Err anyway, I got it specifically so that this kind of thing wouldn't happen. Any card that exists is in there. Maybe you're just missing it."

Kazu glanced up at Rika as she scanned the pages again, this time going through the whole thing. Finally she tossed it back at him and rested her hands on her hips.

"Well sorry to tell you this but then that card doesn't exist… Your little booklet isn't accurate."

Kazu grunted. Normally he didn't have a problem with being wrong. Heck he was so good at it he practically made it an art form, but he was positive he was right this time. "I told you it is. It even has that new limited edition HiAndromon card that came out last week it's the newest one you can get and the exact same one the judges are using…" Kazu and Rika exchanged glances. "…It's… really not in there is it… What's going on here?"

"…" Only a select few ever got to see Rika looking like anything else than stellar, and now at long last, Hirokazu Shiota had been added to that list. "I don't know, but I think we should check it out."

"Right, I'll get Takato." Kazu turned to run only to get yanked back by the shirt collar. "Huh? Hey! What gives?"

"Takato is probably still with Jeri and you're not going to ruin their little moment. We can handle this by ourselves."

Kazu blinked, unsure he had heard Rika correctly. "We… as in you and me?"

"Who else is around?" The girl responded becoming increasing impatient.

"Err well it's just. I'm usually the last person you want to do anything with… This going to be so cool!"

Rika slapped her forehead. _Oh good lord what have I done? I hope the gogglehead appreciates this._

"Look. Me and Renamon can handle this by ourselves, the only reason I'm inviting you is in case I need a diversion."

"Say no more, I'm your man."

Again, Rika sighed. "Not even in your dreams."

* * *

A/N: Alright the tournament was suppose to be all in one chapter but as you can see things arn't working out that way so i can't say too much without givin everything away. Ummm, ya, Rika and kazu, never would have thought, would ya? I hope it was too ooc, that would Jeri being depressed bit I'm really unsure about. Take care all.


	12. Chapter 12

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* * *

_

**After Thoughts**

_

* * *

_

_Poor Kazu, alas, I knew the boy well._

Henry chuckled a little at the dark humor in his mind. He noticed it when he went to leave, that Kazu seemed to have opted to hang around Rika for a while longer. Essentially the child doomed himself because, as well all know Rika has a temper, and Kazu can't keep quiet. At least now that Henry was on his own he could think a little… Rika lost, and Kenta won. Ryo was apparently a mess this morning, and Takato and Jeri were once again playing out the classic story of boy meets girl…

"…There certainly have been a lot of interesting occurrences lately."

"So, I'm not the only the only one whose noticed it."

The blue haired Tamer smiled at that sound, elegant and sharp, like a polished string instrument. "Renamon."

"Henry. Thank you for checking up on Rika."

The boy shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I only made it worse, but you're welcome. Ummm, are you sure it's alright for you to be out here. Anyone could see you."

"You don't want me to be seen?" The fox replied in tone that seemed to be in all seriousness. But with Renamon it was often hard to tell. "Why Henry, I do believe that's quite rude."

Henry flushed for a moment, before he realized the kitsune was teasing him on purpose. "I didn't say that… nevermind. What brings you here? Somehow I doubt it was just to thank me for embarrassing myself."

"Of course. It was your comment. I'm just glad someone else noticed."

"Oh that." Henry chuckled. "I was just thinking out loud. Although now that you mention it, there's more truth to that statement than I thought. Riley getting suspended."

"A child version of Takato running around."

"Rika's family coming to a card tournament… What inspired them to do that anyway?"

"It's seems Miss Rumiko had an overseas appointment that got cancelled. Coming to the tournament was Seiko's idea."

"I see. And how ironic this is the first and only time I've ever seen that happen to Rika. That's almost too convenient." Henry finished off casually.

"…" Renamon eyed Henry for a moment before stepping back to leave.

Henry jerked. "Er, wait Renamon. My family is here as well. We have a spot set up outside, if you'd like to join us, that is."

"…" Renamon lifted her head towards the Tamer. It was strange, while they weren't partners nor did that have any other special bond to be spoken of she always found him perhaps the easiest of all the Tamers to talk to. Takato got embarrassed or nervous to easily and Rika had a habit of trying to end the conversation when it became uncomfortable. Henry just listened calmly and responded. "Will Terriermon be there?"

Another chuckle. "Sorry, but I couldn't leave him alone by himself. I'm always impressed that something so small can cause so much trouble when I leave him alone."

The fox type nodded. Terriermon could be just as much a handful as Guilmon when he wanted to be, there was no denying that. "…"

"We have tea, if you want. Consider it an apology for the comment I made."

"Perhaps later." Renamon finished fading out of sight before anything else could be said.

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side of the arena, the odd pair of Kazu and Rika weren't sparing any time to relax. Although that was bad news for one of them as Kazu was beginning to trail farther and father behind. With a lazy yawn Kazu shuffled over to the side wall of the area and made use of a cleverly placed bench, taking in the good weather. 

"Tired already?" Rika mocked.

"Awww gimme a break. I had track practice today. And you're standing through all the matches. My legs hurt after all that."

"Track?" Rika asked. "Wait, they let _you_ in a club."

The Visor child grinned back. "Let me? No way, they begged me to join. Honestly I wasn't really interested at first."

"When did that happen?"

"Which part?" Kazu grinned. "Me being talented or other people noticing."

"Forget I asked." Rika said shortly turning back in the direction they had been heading before. She wasn't in the mood for any of the child games.

"Err wait. I think it was about a week ago. These kids, they were trying to keep someone I knew from joining a club because she was a girl. I kinda helped her out and I ended up joining in the process."

"So you _do_ have a soft side."

"No I don't, I just didn't want to see her get picked on. I realize this makes me sound like a total wuss but that kind of stuff really drives me nuts. Oh and I hope you don't mind but could you not tell anyone. This isn't the sort of thing I want to brag about."

"Why not? I think it's raised my opinion of you little."

"Really?!"

"Don't get too excited, I said a little."

"Ha, I knew you liked me."

Rika turned back and shot Kazu a glaree. The boy's sense of humor ran as deep as his sense of ineptness so it was hard to tell when he was being a dope and when he was just trying to be funny.

"Hey, there he is!"

Turning back on a dime Rika caught a glance of the child they had been searching for by the main entrance. Kenta seemed in good spirits, talking happily with another child that appeared to be his partner for the tournament. And quite a strange one he was. A young man slightly older than Takato perhaps. Casually propped up against one of the hand rails on either side of the stairs. He wore a thick cream colored hoody with black jeans and a jester-style cap that oddly seemed to match the rest of his gear, complete with black jeans. At moment the kids were still too far away to anything else.

Suddenly Kenta went inside leaving the stranger on his own. _The perfect chance_ thought Rika. "Perfect, Kazu, I want you to introduce yourself and see you can't get him to show you his cards. I'll find Kenta and keep him distracted."

Kazu groaned loudly. "Aww man, why do I have to do it?"

"Because he'll suspect something if it was me obviously!"

"Oh right…" The child murmured trying to think of some other way to get out of the task Rika had assigned him. However his friend wasn't about to give him any time to think. Rika shoved Kazu forward then disappeared the other way to find Kenta."

The Tamer groaned making his way over to the main entrance. Already Idolo was casting him an odd glance, like he could sense the boy's intentions a mile away. Well, the visor boy's posture wasn't helping much. Reluctantly Kazu forced himself to put on a smile and give a half hearted wave, to which to the bizarre child responded with a deep bow. Now that they were closer Kazu could make out some of the finer features on the kids face. Clothes were well kept, much like his pale blonde hair. The real eye catcher about this child though was his own eyes. A bright baby blue that seemed to catch the light just perfectly.

_So Formal. _Kazu thought.

"Hey uh." Kazu started nervously. "I saw you in round one. Way to beat the crud out of the Digimon queen."

"Thank you. Although I attribute my success to my partner, Kenta."

_Kenta? Ya right._

"Whatever you say buddy. Uhh, look, I was hoping to get some pointers for my next round. You know, learn from the Wonder Rookie."

Idolo giggled in an almost sickening sweet way. "Thank you kindly but actually I played quite a bit in my hometown. It took very long to get where I am now."

Kazu grinned. "Yeah I bet a few rare cards didn't hurt either. Like that one you pulled on Rika. Man I'll bet she was speechless."

Idolo tilted his head slightly quickly noticing how Kazu called her name so casually. "Rika… Are you her friend?"

_Awww crap! Busted! No wait, I can still talk my way of out of this._

"Friend? Ha!" Kazu shouted with a notably forced exuberance. "No way. I'm her… rival! Yeah, that's it."

The newbie tilted his head the other direction seeming to become even more perplexed. "I thought Mr. Akiyama was Miss. Nonaka's rival." Idolo said innocently peering over at the visor child.

_Crap, does he know I'm lying?_

"…Hmmm."

"Ha! That's what _she_ says!" Kazu kept focused on maintaining his composure. Kazu may not have been a great fighter but even he knew not to let the enemy see you sweat.

"………Oh well." Idolo said, his voice completely breaking apart the tension. "I guess he really is on a different level than her."

Kazu choked back a glare. Rika wasn't just one shy of Ryo in terms of card skills, she also held a great deal of respect with all the other Tamers, including Kazu. "Yeah I might not repeat that too much if I were you. She might hit you if she hears you."

_Or __**I**__ might._

Idolo giggled again fixing the boy with a glazed stare that seemed to come naturally to him. Silently Kazu retracted everything he ever said about Takato acting girly and began applying to this new youth. "I can imagine she seems very… unbalanced."

_She's fine you little twerp Better than fine in fact._

"Oh! How rude of me, I haven't even properly introduced myself. My name is Idolo Masaki." The boy suddenly made another deep bow. "I thought you might be Kenta's friend Mr. Hirokazu, but if you aren't Rika's friend…then"

"Oh uh…" Kazu stammered a little taken aback, not just for the overly formal gesture, but also by the fact that this kid apparently knew about him. "Uhh…I'm… I'm Hirokazu Shiota. And, ya I'm Kenta's friend."

Idolo tilted his head, once more signifying his confusion. "Then… You're not close with Rika?"

_Close enough, stop asking._

"Ehh, well. It's nothing personal. But her opinion of me isn't exactly stellar." Kazu exclaimed. He figured he handled that one well enough but Idolo was getting visibly troubled by the shifting answers.

"So it's one sided...?"

Kazu frowned. How did he become the topic of discussion anyway? That's right, Kazu was supposed to be drilling for info on that card. "Uh yeah. Sure. Whatever. Anyways, I was wondering what kind of card you used to beat Rika."

Idolo tilted his head the other way again. Suddenly Kazu was reminded of those old-school boxing video games he liked to play. "Why do you want to beat her? It sounds like you kind of like her. Or do you think that doing that that is the only earn her respect."

"What the?" Kazu's mind glazed over in a split second. "I do NOT like her."

"Then why are you getting so defensive?" Idolo giggled to himself again as he began rummaging around through his pockets and pulled out a digimon card. "Here you are."

The boy blinked dumbly. "Huh?"

"It's the card that saved me against Miss Rika. I got it at my old home during a promo. I figured it would be more better used in the hands of a Real Tamer and since your Kenta's friend at least I would really like to see you make it to the finals, so this one's on the house."

Kazu's expression suddenly took the form of bewilderment. This Idolo was acting so sweet he could almost be a girl. And despite how he seemed to rub him the wrong way, Kazu was having a harder and harder time believe this kid was a cheater. I mean, what kind of cheater tries to give away the card he was cheating with. It's just too careless. "Uh thanks." Silently Kazu pulled out his card index and began scanning through it.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, it looks like a new card. I was just wondering why I haven't seen it yet. I'm usually pretty up to date on these things."

"Spoken like a true Tamer." Idolo piped up happily. "Here, I'll show you where it is."

Idolo moved snatching the rulebook away from Kazu and sifting through the pages. It took him only a few seconds before he handed it back to Kazu. "Found it!"

"Yeah I couldn't really find it when I looked for it myse-ah. You what?"

"See, it's right here."

Kazu rudely grabbed the rulebook back and checked the spot shown to him. Sure enough, the card that had eluded the two Tamers before hand was now in plain site.

_Now how did we miss that? We went through it like eighty times._

"Something wrong?" Idolo asked, tilting his head to the side once more.

"No… Not really, it's just… Ah nevermind. You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Oh… well okay." Idolo grinned. "Well, I should check to see when I'm up next. I hope you find that new card useful."

Kazu nodded and waved his new acquaintance faded from view.

_I feel like such a dope… Why couldn't I see it earlier? It was right in front of me._

The Tamer paused suddenly realize he had to take a look at what the card actually does.

_Stolen Light… Never heard of that one before. Win ratio becomes 80, all opponents Digimon become Rookies and all Players Digimon Digivolve once… What the? With a cheap card like this no wonder he won._

Kazu sighed. What a waste of time that was. On the upside he managed to get a wicked new card, but still, something felt off.

_I'll bet it's this stupid card… I mean with this thing it's like taking candy from… Kenta… Ah, good times._

Kazu turned around. He wasn't exactly sure what he expected to happen but somehow his conversation with Idolo only left him feeling even more discontented.

_Ah well, if you can't beat him, see if you can get a few more cool cards from him at least._

"Hey, wait up. I think I could still learn more from you."

On Rika's end things weren't going any better. Technically she was successful in keeping Kenta away from his partner, but that was more due to the fact that the child had wandered off and disappeared. For the time being she had resolved to follow Idolo and Kazu, although where they were going together was beyond her.

The girl sighed to herself, resisting the ever increasingly strong voice in her head that told her this was all just a big waste of time and that she should let it go. She was big enough to handle a loss, no matter how embarrassing.

_But that stupid card..._

No. That was hardly a good enough excuse to follow some poor kid around trying to dig up dirt on him like a sore loser. Quietly Rika slumped herself against the wall, purposely letting herself lose track of the two boys she was following. Maybe now would be a good time to say hello to her mother and grandmother… even the little Takato. She had been purposely avoiding them since her loss.

"_This isn't like me, I really am starting to act like a kid_."

"Huh? Rika! So this is where you were."

Great, she didn't even have a moment to reflect on herself right now. How fitting. The red haired girl turned around, her annoyance becoming apparent in her body language. The expression on her face too gave the impression she was about to about verbally abuse however interrupted her thoughts. Instead of letting out some of that pent up rage, her face softened when she saw who it was that had bothered her.

"Takato?! Weren't you with Jeri."

"Huh? Oh yeah." Takato replied shifting his weight to one leg and turning his head to the side. "She said she wanted to be alone for a bit."

"And you believed her?"

"I... wasn't supposed to?"

Rika tilted her head giving that some thought. No, it was just a card game after all. Jeri would probably be fine within the hour. All the needless attention might've just been making things worse.

"How about you?"

Rika's expression soured in an instant. "I really wish people would stop acting like this one little loss is the end of the world. It's not that big a deal."

Takato pasted on a nervous grin, becoming painfully aware he had struck a nerve. "Ahh sorry… It's just, well, usually your always kicking butt and taking names. It's… kinda hard to keep up with you sometimes."

"You don't have to say that just to make me feel better. Don't need your pity."

"Err, no that's not it. Well, I mean… Okay, it is what I'm trying to do but I wouldn't be saying it if it weren't true."

"Hmmm?"

Takato shrunk back as his friend fixed him with a gaze that could rip through iron like a cutting torch. He wasn't sure how, but the boy was becoming increasingly worried that he just dug his own grave without even realizing it. Why couldn't he think about what he said, just once? Preferably _before_ he was done talking. At least he could still think of what to say next.

"Uhh, sorry."

The red haired girl rolled her eyes and turned around, hiding the small smile that was now spread across her lips. She wasn't sure exactly what was causing it, Takato's feeble attempt to cheer her up with words or he his even more feeble attempts to negate those words due to embarrassment. He had done something like this before, when the group was riding the small platform to the sovereign's keep and she had been concerned about her mother. The slight rise in her temperature was also nostalgic and unsettling. "There you go again, apologizing when you don't need too."

"Huh?"

"Look, if you really want me to feel better, you'll leave me alone for a bit, that okay with you Gogglehead?"

"Ummm, sure… I guess."

Takato resisted the urge to follow as Rika walked around the corner. Hopefully wherever she was going she would be able to clear her head. In the meantime the gullible gogglehead was now two for two in term of friends down. He needed to find Henry… or Kazu! Kazu's almost always happy, to the point where it would probably take a surgical saw to remove that grin.

_Of course, I have no idea where to find either of those two… or Ryo for that matter. Guess the only thing left is wandering around._

For a moment the gogglehead debated going to see Rika's family. They were nice, and the old woman reminded him of his own grandmother, may she rest in peace. But the chance of running into Rika was too great there. The only thing left was to watch the matches… alone.

"T-Takato."

Or not.

"Beat! How long have you been standing there?"

"Since about; 'I wouldn't be saying it if it weren't true. That was really sweet."

Takato flushed. "Well I uhhh… It _is_ true."

"I know. But it was still nice of you to cheer her up like that."

"Well, that's what friends do for each other, right…? Actually speaking of which, I seem to be on my own right now, care to join me in watching the next match?"

"I-I'd be happy too." Beatrice murmured trying to hide her reddening face behind the collar of her school uniform.

"Great let's go before all the good seats are taken."

As it turns out, Kenta's match was the one that was up next. And it just so happened Kazu had pulled up a seat in the front row. Takato gave him a wave, but his visor adorning friend was completely oblivious.

"Oh, it looks like you found one of your friends, what was his name again."

Takato smiled. "That would be Kazu. We've been together as long as I can remember. But wow… I've never seen him look so focused."

"Hmmm?"

"Actually if memory serves me correctly, in our first year of school Ms. Asagi had to peg him with a piece of chalk so hard he fell out of his desk to wake him up."

"You're memory _doesn't _serve you correctly chumly, that was you. I was giving Miki a tour of the school."

_Eh, that sure got his attention. _Takato thought. "Are there any girls in our class you haven't traumatized yet?"

"Jeri, that's it. And I only went easy on her 'cause you asked me too about a dozen times."

"Ummm, is Jeri you're… uh. Your… you know." Beatrice stammered.

While the Tamer went dead silent and turned as red as Guilmon, Kazu began laughing like a hyena. "Ha! He wishes. And don't ask me why they aren't either. Those two are nuts. Especially Jeri and _especially_ chumly."

"Thanks Kazu." The boy murmered sarcastically.

"No problem dude. Now if you don't mind I wanna see how this battle turns out now that Idolo gave me his winning card."

"He _gave_ it to you? When did you eve-"

"Shhhhhh! Dude, the match."

Takato sheepishly turned back to the match, just barely catching a glimpse of Rika's trademark purple heart shirt half a dozen sections over. She was with her family after all. And by the looks of it she wasn't having a good time. Her mother was asking her something while the girl was trying her best to ignore them and focus on the match.

_Oh well, at least she paid them a visit._

Not far for the fiery haired girl was another youth that caught Takato's attention. It was none other than Ryo, and like the two other children he was completely absorbed in the match unfolding…

"Wow… Everyone is so intense."

"Dude, quiet."

"Sorry."

The match started off with Kenta and Idolo taking a strong lead with a MarineAngemon and Leomon, until a lousy move on Idolo's part cause both cards to be defeated. The kids tried to make a comeback with Guardromon. From then on both children completely floundered. While Kenta tried to formulate some kind strategy, albeit a bad one, Idolo just kept on playing monster cards.

_Hey, it's a Lopmon like Suzie's partner._

…Defeated.

_Or it was…_

The next cards playing also struck a familiar cord… First was a Impmon, which despite Kenta's best efforts was rabidly destroyed. Next… Terriermon. Destroyed. Then Renamon… destroyed.

"No way…"

Kazu and Takato exchanged glaces. "Dude, are we thinking the same thing."

"What's going on?" Beatrice asked politely.

"He's using all the same cards as the Digimon the Tamers use."

"So next should be…"

Monodramon…Defeated.

By now Kenta and Idolo were so far behind winning was impossible thanks largely to the abysmal performance on the light haired child's part. The poor kid looked like he was about to cry. Even Kenta looked like he was keeping it together pretty well in comparison and he's usually the first to start whimpering. Across the isles Rika and Ryo were reaching the same conclusion. The match was over a moment later, so far the least impressive show by leaps and bounds.

Idolo sighed haplessly rubbing his eyes a bit and then forcing on a smile. "Sniff… Ah… Wow… even after all that. I figured if I used the Tamers Digimon I could win" The child scratched his head casting his gaze over the audience smiling widely. "…I guess they just weren't strong enough…"

"Well, that was kinda disappointing." Takato mumbled.

"No kidding, he did so badly. That was a total insult to Guardromon! Hey Idolo! Have you even heard of the word strategy?!"

"Kazu! Quiet, I think that match rough enough without your help." Takato scolded

"Yeah, yeah… I guess his talent really was all in that card after all."

It wasn't until the end of the day that things began wrapping up. Takato and Ryo were knocked out of the tournament early due largely to the fact that were paired up with Henry and Kazu in the fifth round. That being said, it was good match, at least the fans seemed to enjoy it. Jeri, who had returned to stands seemed to find a great deal of glee was practically jumping out of her seat, as was the young Suzie.

While it was too late for the children to hang out much longer, they did gather around to gawk at the small almost insignificant trophies awarded to those that place first, of course being Henry and his loud-mouth buddy Kazu. Ryo felt this was a good a time as any to say what he wanted.

"First of all, I would just like to say… Congratulations! You really pulled this one out."

"No kidding, I didn't know you had that in you Kazu."

Kazu smirked at the compliments he was receiving when suddenly Ryo took on a much more serious tone. "But I also have something I want to discuss with you all. As most of you know I went into the Digital World last night…"

"…And almost got your butt handed to you." Rika smirked, unable to resist such an easy shot.

Ryo sighed. "Actually, almost isn't the right word. I'd hate to say it but I was pretty effectively beaten."

Kazu shifted a bit. "Oh yeah, I remember you mentioning that a bit this morning."

"Well suffice to say, I don't think any of us should be going into the digital field for a while, at least not without someone else as back up."

"Hmmm… It might be time to check in again with Hypnos." Henry stated. "See if they have any new information."

"Umm, if no one wants to the rest of those sandwiches, I'll take them." Takato said, ignoring Kazu's gestures.

"If you take all that, Guilmon will get fat. Here, let me take the creampuffs. Calumon will like them." Jeri added with a giggle, making Takato flush.

"Good luck, you'll have to fight Suzie for them." Henry's father, Mr. Janyu Wong said with a chuckle.

"Suzie, geez, show some restraint." Henry scolded

Off to the side Rika was mostly keeping her thoughts to herself. A few curious glances were cast in Kazu's direction. She had yet to hear how his little encounter with Idolo went. Although given by the boys presence it was a fair bet he was cleared of any and all suspicion… The sad thing was Rika still didn't like him. She knew it was childish and selfish, that why she didn't say anything. Still she couldn't seem to help how she felt.

"Rika?"

"Hmmm?" The fiery haired girl shifted her gaze over Takato.

"You alright? You seem kinda out of it."

"Want a cream puff?" Jeri asked sweetly, earning a smile from her friend.

"Yeah, just tired. You guys did well in the tournament today, you and Henry I mean."

"What about me?" Kazu asked, flaunting the trophie once more.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but you… managed not to completely embarrass yourself." Rika finished with a good natured smirk.

"At least until his little victory dance at the end." Kenta quipped.

"Wow, Kazu. That was almost a compliment for you." Even Henry was impressed. "Ahh Rika. It looks like your ride is about to depart."

"Hmmm." Casually the girl glanced behind her and nodded in the direction of her grandmother. "Alright I'll see you guys later."

Rika sighed as she pushed herself off the ground and prompted for Jeri, Ayaka, and Beatrice to do the same. Suddenly she paused, casting a glance over in Takato's direction. "I almost forgot, are you coming over later?"

Kazu tilted his head a little. "Hey chumly… Something you maybe forgot to tell me?"

"Kazu, I think you're forming the wrong conclusion." Henry stated.

"Too late, already formed and now I am deeply concerned about it."

Takato chuckled. "Kazu, listen for a moment. We set it up so the young Takato can stay at my house, and I'm going to stay over at Henry's for a few days. Rika just wanted to know if I was picking him up myself."

"What about your parents?" Kenta asked.

"I've asked them to play along, even fixed the room up a bit so it looks like it did when I was younger… It should be alright, I don't really know what else we can do in this situation." Takato exclaimed.

"I think your doing about all you can. It's actually not a half bad idea for the time being." Henry said reassuringly

"I see." Kazu replied, slumping his shoulders a bit. "Awww man, I can't believe you didn't ask me! We could've stayed awake all night, have campfires-"

"Indoors?" Kenta asked arching a brow skeptically.

"I have a yard, duh! Although now that you mention it… hmm, a campfire in my room, I'm gonna have to try that one of these days."

Takato began laughing while his friend pretended to give it some serious thought. "If it was anyone else but you, Kazu, I might doubt them. But seriousally I think I can take Taka-chan with me now. I'll see you guys later."

"See ya later."

As the kids began to dispurse, each one going their own way home, Takato made a side trip to the park. It was a little out of the way, but the gogglehead wanted to make sure his partner was properly fed before the sun went down. The younger version of himself didn't mind the detour, if anything he thought playing with a large red dinosaur after dark was cool.

It was about halfway up the stairs leading to Guilmon's shed when Takato noticed something seemed odd. Chunks of the stairs were missing, and a couple of them had all too familiar claw mark embedded into them. It wasn't an accident either, Guilmon may have been large, but he was also very gentle.

Takato ran the rest of the way to Guilmon's shed and did a double take when he saw the gate. It was pretzeled, literally torn to shreds. Immediately the gogglehead grabbed his Digivice and switched to compass mode. Guilmon was still in the shed slumped over Calumon defensively. The bruises and overturned dirt made it look like a truck ran over him.

"He still alive… good. Hang on, where's Cyberdramon?"

The Tamer took out his digivice, switching it to compass mode with one hand while keeping the other on his partner. Two signals were still nearby, one large, the other small, about Guilmon's size.

"Takatomon…? I smell, bread… and trouble, but mostly bread."

"Guilmon, you're alright! Good, can you move."

Reluctantly Guilmon climbed to his feat and took another sniff of the air. Takato picked up Calumon carefully afterwards and placed him in the care of his younger self. "This way."

It didn't take long to figure out where Guilmon was heading. Takato was beginning to think of the place as a second home. They were heading to the tunnel where Guilmon once disappeared, and also their entrance into Shinjuku when the D-Reaper attacked.

"Are you ready to face me now, coward?"

"Cyberdramon?"

The voice obviously belonged to Ryo partner. One Digimon sounded _that_ angry all the time. The other voice however, that one was new.

"Quite. I didn't lead you away from your ignorant friends so we could battle. I want to recruit you."

The gogglehead inched closer. The entrance of the tunnel both Digimon were just inside. Guilmon let out a low growl behind him to signaling his readiness to strike, but the Gogglehead waved him down. His curiosity was quickly getting the better of him.

"There is absolutely no reason for you to stay with that overrated mongrel you call a partner."

"Bite your tongue." Cyberdramon growled out through clenched jaws.

"No. You say you love fighting but you fail to realize the best opponents have been right beside you."

"They are my allies, they make the fights better. I enjoy having a warrior at my side as much as I enjoy having one in front of me."

"And you called _me_ a coward?! You won't even let yourself fight at your full potential! And why? Is that infidel Monodramon holding you prisoner, or did you become so attached to Ryo you purposely let yourself fall from grace."

**ERASER CLAW!!!**

Takato couldn't see what happened next, but judging by the enraged roar that resounded shortly afterwards he'd say the attack didn't connect.

"Hmph, how could they ever call a weakling like you a god. If you care to reclaim you former glory, you know where to find us."

Another roar sounded throughout the night making the younger Takato clutch onto Guilmon as if in fear for his life. Cyberdramon stomped back into view opening and closing his fist angrily. He paused when he noticed the children and the looks on their faces told him they heard everything.

"Cyberdramon… Is everything alright?

"Hmph, It's fine."

"But what that other Digimon was talking about-"

"-Was absolute nonsense. I have no intention of turning on you or abandoning my partner."

"Oh…" The gogglehead smiled nervous. "…Ummm. I hope you won't mind my asking but, what did that Digimon mean by 'former glory?"

"None of your business." The Ultimate level growled as he began walking back out into the night. He paused after a few more steps. "Don't tell Ryo about this. He worries for worthless reasons and I want him to be at his best when my next fight comes around."

Takato nodded. "Okay but… you're sure you're okay?"

"Yes! Sometimes your partner just… turns out to be more than you bargained for."

"Cyberdramon…"

"Hmph. Don't waste your energy pondering it. I doubt an you could understand with a partner like Guilmon."

Takato sighed as the Ultimate Virus disappeared behind the bushes, making his way back to Guilmon's shed. The Tamer turned his head to Guilmon, his expression becoming downcast as he remember the fall of Leomon, then ensuing rage, and finally…

"I understand better than you think."

* * *

**Well the end of another chapter… it took me so long because I really had no idea what I was doing, how I should end it. My original plan was to end with Rika feeling pretty bad over losing to such a lousy card player, but then I decided I needed an actual tension point. And the bad guys haven't really made a move yet. Thus this idea eventually came to mind. Right now is sort of a low point in the action, but that will change.**

**As for the new guy, Idolo. The only OC that's familiar with Digimon the same way the original children are. He's a bit more childish the than the other Tamers, actually his mindset is closer to Suzie's than Kazu or Kenta's. He does have a plotwise purpose, and getting into trouble is going to be part of it. What else does he do, you'll find out, eventually. **


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

**After Thoughts

* * *

**

"So bored… I need to do something."

Drops of gray rain flecked the windows, fond memories of the tournament had already begun to fade into nothing. Idolo glanced back towards his parent's rooms. Well, at least he called them as such. Somehow, it didn't feel the same though.

"It's too wet outside… so bored. I wonder if dad…"

Idolo backtracked deeper inside his house, down the hall, around a corner. The door to his father's room was closed as usual. The child didn't hesitate to open it, stepping inside carefully. There wasn't much to the room… a bed, a computer… some old paintings for decoration. As usual the older gentleman was typing something furiously on his laptop with a smug, almost pompass expression on his face..

"I'm busy." Was all the old man said, not even bothering to glance up from his computer.

Idolo's ignored him tilting his head to the side as if he weren't quite sure what to make of something. "If I had a Digimon partner… Who do you think it would be?"

"I'm busy, don't make me repeat myself."

Again his father didn't look up from the computer screan, not even as Idolo slammed the door in a bit of a childish temper. Next stop was his mom's room. Unlike with his dad Idolo didn't dare enter this place freely. His mother made it very clear that she became… distressed, when people entered her room without her permission. Idolo just knocked, and then wait patiently for an answer. At the very least, this was killing time.

The door opened second later. "You're still here…"

"Want to do something together?"

"Like what?"

"I dunno… something…?"

The woman eyed him carefully before reaching into her purse and pulling out a small plastic card… a credit card. "Take this, and don't come back until midnight"

Idolo tilted his head to one side innocently. "…Can I use it."

"Of course, stupid."

"Will I get in trouble?"

"…Not with me. It's not mine. Go, have fun."

Without waiting for a response the woman dropped the card and closed the door. Idolo hesitantly picked it off the ground, wondering if he should just throw it away… naw, a gift is a gift. And he didn't get many of those, especially from that lady. The fair haired child began for the door, adjusting his quirky little jester hat in the process. It was still raining after all. He'd take his mother's umbrella. She'd get angry of course, but he didn't care. It's not as though he felt he owed her anything.

A few minutes went by. Idolo still had no destination, or any idea of what to do for the next few hours. Not many people were outside either in this miserable weather, for certain he could forget about bumping into one of the Tamers. It was at that moment, conveniently, when he his mind had just grazed the subject of Digimon that he passed by a card shop with quite a few rare ones and memorable ones from the TV show proudly displayed in the window. Without even thinking it he asked him the same question that had intrigued him before.

"If I had a Digimon… What would be…"

Almost instantly the child became fixated on a rare Apocalymon card. An odd smile crossed the boy's lips as he found him identifying with that card above all the others. Why didn't he have a partner like that, like any of the Tamers for that matter? He knew as much about the card game as any one of them. He was about the same age… kinda. So why were some blessed while he seemed to be cursed… Was it luck? Well now…

…That just wasn't fair.

"Hmph… why should I pay for something I'm entitled too anyway?"

In one quick movement Idolo closed the umbrella and used it to smash open the window, grabbed the card he wanted with his other hand when he noticed another rare card on display. HighAndromon… Kazu might like that, better take it with him. Actually since he was there already, he might as well grab everything in sight before the shop owner appeared.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon." Kazu hollered, half running, half dragging his poor friend Kenta behind him. "This is the last time I wait for you chumly."

"Sorry!" Takato shouted out ahead. "Hang on, didn't you start out behind me?!"

"Heh, whaddaya know that track practice is really paying off."

"Slow… down… Kazu… Going to… trip!" Kenta pleaded with his friend, in vain of course.

"I can't believe you guys, do you always leave this late for class?" Henry hollered

"Not always. Today was a good day."

"Oh brother."

All three children were running as though their lives depended it. Why? No it wasn't another one of the increasingly common wild ones that had been pouring out of the Digital Field. No this was something much more humbling. In less than a minute the school would begin to close and for those that weren't in on time, that meant dealing with Ms. Asagi after school.The kids frowned as the gate slowly began to close.

"Awww nuts!" We're too late!"

"No were not, dive for it."

Kazu smirked as he slid through the gate at last second, still dragging Kenta along with him. The visor boy pumped his fist in success just before a loud metal clang resounded behind him. Takato had made the dive for the gate just as Kazu told him too, but he went face first… and missed.

"Ouch… that's gotta hurt."

Kenta bent over and began poking Takato through the gate with a stick, not getting much of a response. "I think he really hurt himself. Should we call the nurse?"

"Awww man… and we we're so close to being on time. Think Asagi will buy the 'we were attacked by evil Digimon excuse?"

Henry rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you can get Jeri to vouch for you."

It took a few minutes for the gogglehead to regain his senses and climb the fence. The quartette decided to forego the nurses office at the moment and instead choose to gripe about school should start several hours later… and end several hours earlier.

"You know this wouldn't be a problem if you guys just left five minutes earlier."

"Ya, but I wanted to see Guilmon this morning. And the bakery is a lot further than the shed in the park."

"Oh yeah, you had to move him because that weird Digimon attacked him in his home."

Takato nodded. "It's been two days since that and nothing's been done."

Kazu folded his arms behind his head. "Well that's not good. Can't that Yamaki dude get us something to go on?"

Henry shook his head solemnly. "I really don't think we can count on Hypnos anymore. Yamaki's new boss and his assistant trying to cut him out of the picture. The guards won't even let me in the building unless I call ahead. I've been having trouble finding Riley as well."

"That's rough." Kenta said quietly. "But, ummm. Well, if that Digimon is in the Digital Field won't he reformat and… not be a problem anymore?"

"I dunno." Takato said quietly. That would really save us a lot of trouble.

"Based on what you told me of him I think he might be smart enough to avoid the reformats. He's definitely less direct than the GaiouMon. He plans his strikes."

"So then what are we suppose to do about it." The visor boy groaned.

"We have to go back in there." Takato replied. "It's dangerous but we can't just sit back and wait for us to get attacked first." The group nodded.

"Why don't we switch to a happier topic?"

"Sure." Said Kazu. "You guys hear about that card shop that got robbed."

"How is that happier?"

"I dunno, it was just the first thing that came to mind."

Henry laughed lightly to himself as the kids parted ways. The kids got the usual punishment of having to stay outside in the hallways. And the rest of the day went pretty much as expected. From Kazu and Ayaka's bickering, to the extra homework also assigned as punishment for being late.

"Ahhh finally free… At least until tomorrow." Ryo exhaled ignoring the vexed expression he got from the teacher and turning to his friends. "So, what's on your list of things to do today."

"We're thinking of heading back to the Digital Field. See if we can track down that Purple Digimon that attacked Guilmon a couple days ago."

Ryo arched a brow. "Well, beats fractions I guess. Meet you guys at the usual spot?"

The Tamers nodded, well most of them anyway. Kazu sank back into his seat. "Sorry guys, track practice again. I'll give you a call after I'm done though, you can fill me in on how it went."

Ayaka smirked. "Hmph, try not to fall behind this time _Kazu_."

"Try not to trip me this time _Ayeka_."

"Well you to have fun." Jeri giggled, heading out the door along Takato and Ryo. "And try not to hurt each other too much."

"Easier said than done."

The group arrived at Guilmon's hut in no time. Kenta set himself up in a Digimon card game against Jeri to pass the time until Rika arrived. No matter what she insisted on getting out of the school uniform before doing anything else. The plan was to bring all the heavy hitters along for this. It was going to be like a miniature raid. If the Digital Field was as dangerous as what Ryo had described then there was no sense taking chances by only sending one or two people.

For the moment things were relatively peaceful. The clouds that had plagued the city with rain had begun to open up revealing a calm blue sky. For the moment, things seemed overwhelming peaceful and relaxed. For the gogglehead slumped on the stairs it was almost enough to make him drift of to sleep.

"…Hey, do you guys think we should get Impmon in on this?"

"Well, as far as Mega's go he certainly packs a wallop… Sure, anyone got the number to his house? We can call him using Rika's cell when she gets here." Ryo stated

The Tamers glanced at each other sheepishly when they realized that they actually didn't have any way to contact him apart from in person.

"Well so much for that idea."

"…I bet he's gonna be mad that he missed out on this one." Jeri chimed.

"I wonder what's keeping Rika. If she doesn't get here soon it'll be night by the time you guy make it into the Digital Field." Jeri said. "Since you still have to get your Digimon."

"Keep you socks on, I'm here." Rika shouted from the bottom on the stairs. Behind her Beat was following nervously, making sure to keep the red haired girl between herself and Takato and waving shyly when she got close enough. "So… I take it we should meet up in front of the tunnel. When do you want to do this?"

"As soon as possible. My parents won't let him stay in the bakery much longer. He keeps eating all the bread… And a few brightly colored shoes."

Rika nodded. "Alright, I'll see you guys there."

"Catch ya later Wildcat."

The fiery haired Tamer groaned. "Is there any way we can ditch Akiyama?"

Henry laughed lightly as the group began making it's way down the stairs. "Of course not. He has the most experience inside and he's the only one who's dealt with the purple Digimon before."

"Love you too Rika." Ryo said jokingly.

"By the way Beat, I didn't expect you to come as well. I think that's great." The gogglehead exclaimed, unwittingly causing the large girl to blush furiously.

"R-really. I didn't think it was anything much."

"No I'm serious. I think it's great Rika finally has a friend at her own school." The boy continued, not noticing the suspicious glance the female Tamer was giving him. "I'd go postal without Kazu and Kenta to keep me company."

"Yeah well, I gotta admit." Rika started. "Lately, even the long hours have started to seem a little bit shorter."

"Awww, that so sweet." Jeri teased.

Rika turned her icy glare on Jeri. For some reason though, it never seemed to work on her. Almost like the brown haired girl didn't even see it. "Hmph, whatever."

While the group shared a silent chuckle at Rika's expense, Kenta became fixated on another annoyance, and thick clump of clouds that was rapidly dissipating over the entire park. Actually, it was more like a mist or fog, rather than usual clouds. "Awww shoot, and it was starting to look like such a nice day too."

"Aren't these a little low…" Takato shuddered a little jamming his hands in his pockets to keep the warm. "Huh… Aww nuts. I think I left my cards back at the shed. I'll catch up with you guys later."

Rika shook her head. "Really gogglehead. Sometimes you're pretty hopeless."

"Er, sorry. I could've sworn I brought them with me."

"Do you want someone to go with you?" Beat asked hopefully.

"Naw, I'll just be a minute. I'll see you all later."

With a quick wave Takato broke away from the group and backtracked to the tree he was leaning against before. Even though the fog seems to be increasing it wasn't getting much colder.

"What the heck?"

Rather than find all his cards in a small clump, the way you would normally find them if they fell out of your pocket. He found them spread out, forming a jagged trail into Guilmon's shed. The mop-headed boy wasted no time in gathering them up as best he could. Pausing only when he saw the last one had been torn in half. Takato frowned, and flip over the pieces to see which one it was.

"Huh? A Guilmon card? But they don't even make… Guilmon… cards… Awww nuts."

Having just figured out what had happened the child spun around to the entrance. The fog was so thick now you couldn't see two feet ahead of you, or perhaps I should call it what it really was, the Digital Field. And in the doorway was a very familiar purple dragon Digimon.

"Really, you children are so easy."

"But- Wait, My D-Arc, how come it didn't beep when you Biomerged."

"Hmph. Probably my master's doing. Besides if I let a relic like that notice me it wouldn't be much of a trap now would it? Now if you'll excuse me. **Metal Cannon**!"

"**Power Paw!"**

Dorumon was sent sprawling down the stone stairs as a pair of larger more familiar silhouettes appeared in the doorway. Takato stumble deeper into Guilmon's shack and into the pit at the end just as the orb flew over his head.

"Come now." Renamon teased. "Don't think so little of yourself. _I _noticed you, after all."

Dorumon just growled in response. "Can't believe I didn't sense her."

"Hmph. If I let an oversized rodent like you notice me it wouldn't be much of an ambush now would it."

Dorumon growled again. So far this vulpine Digimon had embarrassed him more in two seconds than the entire rest of the Tamers had in the entire duration he'd known them. Time to fix that; Dorumon literally exploded into light tearing up the surrounding ground and began forming into a much larger figure. A massive metal dragon with light blue highlights.

"Dorugoramon… Mega level." Rika grinned stepping through the Digital Field next to her partner. "This should be fun."

"Rika, careful. He's the one I saw a couple days ago. This was a trap."

"Yeah I got that. Get out of here Gogglehead while I hold him off."

The goggle boy burst out of Guilmon's shed in a run, stopping only for a second to take in the incredible new dragon Rika was glaring at. "Holy cow… I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Hmph, if he's even around that long."

**Renamon Biomerge Digivolve tooo… Sakuyamon**

"The second of the four…" Dorugoramon narrowed it's eyes, letting them flash through the fog. "Somehow I was expecting more."

"The feeling mutual. **Spirit Crusher!**"

Rather than dodging the multi-elemental foxes, the metal dragon took the opposite approached and rush stomped right through it. If it did any damage at all it wasn't showing. **"Metal Impulse."**

True the name of the attack, the dragon unleashed a brutal shockwave throughout the park. Sakuyamon leapt into the air dodging it easily. But stopped when she realized there was no way in hell the young gogglehead was going to outrun the wave.

"Takato!"

"This is _such_ a bad day."

Sakuyamon moved quickly outmaneuvering both the shockwave and child in one swoop. Inwardly, Sakuyamon frowned realized she just willfully showed her back to an enemy, but a small glance backward through her elegant fox-mask while revealed that the Mega Dragon had receded into the mist. Takato wasted no time in taking Sakuyamon's hand, but his smile faded when he saw what she was heading for.

"Watch out!"

"**Brave Metal!"**

Sakuyamon turned back around just as a massive metal claw ripped her straight out of the air amd through the nearest ten trees. Takato sailed roughly into a mass of brush and rolled out the other side, scratched and thrashed, but relatively uninjured. He was about to continue his objective to get out of the digital field, unfortunately there was a slight problem in the form of a brutal unrelenting Digimon.

"Sorry kid. It's not my style to butcher those that can't defend themselves, but this is an order."

Takato backed up stumbling over a loose tree root as Dorugoramon raised one mighty in preparation to finish his attack. Takato was cornered, and even if he managed to roll out of the way the shockwave would tear him apart in less than a second. There was no way he was getting out of this on his own. Takato closed his eyes while the mega's foot seemed to blot out everything around him.

"_Rika…"_

"**Metal-'**

"…_Help."_

"**Impulse!"**

It was until something hard pattered lightly against his face did Takato open his eyes. At first he wasn't sure what he was seeing, then he wasn't sure if he was dead.

"Sa… Sakuyamon?"

Dorugoramon was too big to have his attack broken. And the demon lady didn't have enough time to erect a barrier. As for getting out of the way, again, there wasn't enough time. Sakuyamon had taken the last option left and took the brunt of the attack herself by lunging over Takato and protecting him with her body.

"S-stupid gogglehead."

"Rika…?"

The dragon leaned forward and pounded his foot down again, hard. This time the boy's eyes were still open. He could see the pulse ripple through his friend, as well as the overstrained muscles and the bitten back shriek of pain. Takato didn't know what to do. As Dorugoramon applied more pressure Sakuyamon's hands and knees sank deeper into the ground. She was dieing, but she wouldn't let go of her Mega form.

"Sakuyamon stop, you can't handle any more."

"If I quit now… we're both dead."

Takato's mind raced but he was again at a loss. He hadn't felt this helpless since Leomon, only this was happening slower, almost as if it were just to taunt the child. Everything Takato thought of in order to help involved Guilmon in one way or another, but Guilmon wasn't around right now. No one was. A crack crawled along the shamaness' mask, bits falling here and there. That's when the boy realized what had first fallen on his face, Sakuyamon's armor. It was broken to bits. The sad truth was, this fight was already over, Rika and Renamon were just too stubborn to accept it.

Another jerk on the dragon's part forced Sakuyamon down further. Now complete chunks were coming off the Mega woman's armor; her belt buckle, her breast plate, and the remains of her fox mask. All of them were disintegrating into nothingness. Takato shuddered when he felt Sakuyamon's chest begin to press down on his. He tried to adjust his position to give himself more breathing room only to realize her body was pinning him down. This was insane, they were both going to be crushed one on top of the other, and the gogglehead couldn't do a thing. Even without Guilmon he had never felt as powerless as this before. They had been pushed so far into the ground the boy couldn't even see any light anymore.

Takato began to feel lightheaded from the pressure of Sakuyamon's body and lack of oxygen. The woman's face brushed by Takato as it was forced further down, her silvery eyes flashed through a tangled mess of silken hair.

"Sakuyamon-"

"Nothing's… going to happen to you… Takato… I promise."

"…" Takato just nodded dumbly. What else could he do but put his faith in her.

"Errrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggh!"

With one last burst of strength Sakuyamon pushed back against Dorugoramon. She still couldn't get off her knees, but that wasn't what she was trying for. She knew this battle was lost, but there was still more to lose. Quickly she took all of the dragon's weight in her left arm while using her right to grab Takato by the scruff. She tossed him off the side with one fluid motion as hard as she still could. The boy thudded and rolled harmless on the grass getting up and turning back to Sakuyamon as soon as he could clear the cobwebs from his head.

When the child was finally able to see clearly again he saw the dragon had lifted it's giant metal hoof once more. On the ground beneath Sakuyamon was still bent over. She had pushed herself to far she didn't have the strength to get up and start flying again much less fight back, and the fatigue had worn on her mind as well.

"Sakuyamon! Run!!! Defend yourself, do something."

The woman didn't even bother to glance over at first, her mind was still in a haze. Bits of her gear were scattered all around her and she was sorting through it, as though she was looking for a piece she could still use. It wouldn't be enough though; even the black fibers that made up the majority of her costume had begun to unravel revealing the snow white skin underneath. Dorugoramon was ready to finish the battle.

"**Metal-"**

"Nooooooooooooooo!"

"**Impulse!"**

This time Sakuyamon didn't defend. She was so out of it one might have wondered if she even saw it coming. The dragon lifted his foot and turned back to his other target. He didn't show it, but he was surprised by the boy. He wasn't running away, or paralyzed with fear either. Takato was running back toward his friend, tossing out ever bit of common sense and logic along the way. Dorugoramon could only assume he had gone crazy, but he didn't really understand humans when they became agitated like this.

"Sorry child. I'm not exactly a fan of these methods either, I would much rather destroy you in a fair fight, but orders are orders."

"Don't touch her!" Takato shrieked. "If you… if you lay one more finger on her I'll-"

"-Cry and do nothing? Like you've been doing up until now. We know you're practically a legend on the battlefield when you're with Guilmon. Gaioumon was no easy target. But on your own… you… are… nothing."

Takato bit it bottom lip to keep it from quivering. The only thing overriding that intense fear he knew he should be feeling was the intense hate he couldn't seem to choke down. _"If she's… if she's de… I'll make you pay."_

Dorugoramon raised his leg up once more as Takato threw his body over Sakuyamon's instinctively. The jogress wasn't broken yet, a good sign. But suddenly Takato noticed the demon lady wasn't breathing.

_No…_

"**Metal-"**

_Can't be._

"**-Impulse!"**

_"Noooo!"_

**

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**

A/N: Alright I think I replied to all reviews. A cookie if you guess who saves the day. This chapter was suppose to be longer, but I think if I finish everything it will be too long. Sorry for the long delay I got lift truck training and artsy stuff. cheers.


	14. Chapter 14

"**Metal Impulse!"**

Dorugoramon stomped dropped his foot with enough force to send a shockwave throughout the entire city. It was about time he got rid of one of the Tamers, he had been looking forward to this moment the second he was created. Unfortunately for the Mega, It seemed as though he would have to wait a bit longer.

The mist condensed without warning, crashing into the dragon without warning and sending him off balance. He would have caught himself quite easily, if there was any ground behind him with which to displace his weight, but rather there was only air. DoruGoramon extended bladed his wings, waiting in anticipation as the mist cleared.

He was surprised at what he saw, as was Takato, still clinging onto Sakuyamon's limp body. Shinjuku park had completely disappeared except for a few scraps of land her and there, and those were fading fast as well. Now only a gaping black world filled with ones and zeroes remained. Both Tamer and Digimon began to float helplessly as the last of the park disappeared. And the dragon, he seemed to have had lost focus due to confusion… or perhaps irritation.

"A reformat?" The dragon glanced at the children for a moment. "No, you would have changed if it was. Perhaps this is more the work of that troublesome Shibumi."

"**Omega Cannon!"**

Jerking to the sound of the new voice, Dorugoramon raised his tail defensively, barely catching a glimpse of his new enemy as an explosion tore straight through the dragon's appendage, sending shrapnel everywhere. There wasn't even any time to react as a metal hand clamped onto the Mega's nega like a vice, making it's imprint in the shingled metal scales.

"Omnimon?!" Takato called out in disbelief. "From the V-Pet incident?"

"Yes child. It is good to see you again although I'm sorry I was so late. I still can't act in your world, and pulling this creature into mine took quite some doing." The massive knight narrowed hi eyes at the dragon. "Your own Digital Field as worked against you my friend. I promise you I will be the last Digimon you will ever see."

"**Transcendence Sword!"**

"**Dorudin!"**

Omni did a double take as the monster he had rendered helplessly a second ago suddenly blew up into the most literal way possible. The legendary Mega was flung back while Dorugoramon wasted no time and surged forward enveloping Omnimon before he even had a chance to recover.

"Omnimon!"

"Don't worry child, this is nothing."

Like the proverbial bat out of hell Omnimon ripped out of the explosion, his arming gleaming red from the intense heat. This was bad, if Dorugoramon went for the children now his only defence would be to take place himself since his armour was now too hot to hold them. Fortunately the lack of any solid ground made one of the enemy's attacks useless, and at the moment the dragon seemed to have forgotten the kids were even still around. He was more focused on savoring a worthy adversary for once.

With a speed to match the dragon's immense power, Dorugoramon rush at Omnimon once more, his blaze body still cackling like a sick laughter. However the knight was too fast. By the time the fireball found it's way to where the legendary knights body was, he had already moved and outflanked him.

"Can't you do anything except run?" Dorugoramon growled out as his body slowly collected and resumed his regular form.

"Come at me once more you'll see exactly what I can do."

"**Dorudin!"**

The Dragon once again burst into a searing flame, more powerful this time, as if Dorugoramon was pouring every once of strength he had into the attack. The inferno swelled up like a vicious tidal wave and poured down toward Omnimon.

"Hmph." Omnimon glanced behind him toward the two children. "Why do you waste your power attacking the ones that saved us all from the D-Reaper… This, I do not understand… but rest assured, I cannot let you succeed. **Transcendent** **Sword!"**

Like a scene straight out of the digimon movie, Omnimon slashed forward with such a force it sent the flames rolling backwards. Quickly Dorugoramon began to reform, but this time his opponent was on the offensive. The second the dragons chest was solid, Omnimon ran him through with his blade in the same amount of time it take to blink.

"You… You won!" Takato said in disbelief.

"That's…. a bit of a ov… overstatement." Dorugoramon growled.

Omni narrowed his eyes behind the chromedigizoid armour. "Admit it, monster. You've lost. But you're not what first drew me here. Where is your colleague?"

"Colleague…? …Heh… That's funny, I never knew you had a sense of humor… I have no colleagues."

"Then your master-"

"Oh them. Hmph, as much as I'd like to see them get what's coming to them… well, that's just not in the cards now is it."

"Omnimon! Sakuyamon still isn't breathing. She's been out of it for a while now, please tell me you can do something." Takato called out, trying his best to keep his voice from shaking.

Omnimon turned around and gave a reassuring nod before he suddenly felt an odd tightness around his arm. Dorumon had latched on and was holding the limb in place with one hand while drawing back with his other. The dragon grinned wickedly as the knight lifted his cannon.

"**Omega Can-"**

"**Metal Impulse!"**

With one swift move Dorugoramon laid into Omnimon's arm and sent a swell the size of most minivan's through the knight's armour tearing it too shreds at the same time. The transcendent sword was torn completely in half and the cannon took it's share of the damage too. Omnimon fell back limply but at least he still had the sense to re-aim his gun arm and finish the battle.

"**Omega Cannon!"**

"**Dorudin!"**

Once again Omnimon's efforts failed as the energy pellet said harmlessly through the blaze that was just his adversary. This time however the dragon wasted no time in recollecting himself right in front of the knight and ploughing both his legs into Omnimon's remaining good arm.

"**Metal Impulse!"**

Another pulse ripped through Omnimon's armor, shattering the cannon into about a billion pieces. But Dorugoramon wasn't about to stop there. Using his massive wings to propel himself downward he lunged once more at the silver Mega's head.

"**Brave Metal!"**

The dragon's claws stopped just inches from Omni's head, being held off weakly by what was left of his arms. Dorugoramon embedded his other hand into Omni's chest to keep him from floating away. Takato cringed at the sound that made.

"Omnimon!"

"Children… you must get out of here. I will use what's left of my power to send you home."

"Running won't save you Tamers, I'll find you again, and you're running out of allies to save you."

With one final burst of strength, the dragon forced his claws down, finally tearing Omnimon in two. Meanwhile behind the Tamers a vortex was appearing in the void drawing the children in. The metal monster didn't even take a moment to absorb the data, but rather continued with his momentum and barrelled down on the kids.

"**Brave Metal!"**

Takato did a double take as he saw the giant coming at him top speed. There still wasn't much the boy could do except slowly drift away, vainly trying to use his hands to float faster. Takato closed his eyes, the talons were just a few feet away from him but then, they began to fade. The darkness too began to fade, being replaced by a calm orange sunset narrowly visible as it was lined with dirty buildings in disrepair.

Never mind the fact that Takato had no idea where he had been dropped off in the city. "Sakuyamon!" The first thing on Takato's mind was still his friend, and she still wasn't breathing. Guilmon was probably still at the Bakery, and there was no way Takato could lift her in order to take her to a hospital. Hell there might not even be one around, and even if they did get there, no one had ever tried human medicines on Digimon before.

"_Nevermind that. I need to get her breathing somehow."_

Takato leaned over Sakuyamon hesitantly and took a deep breath. She may not of been human but the principle was the same, simulate breathing in the hopes that her body picks up the hint and takes over. A lifesaving action more commonly referred to as CPR. Takato knew the procedure fairly well. His parents made sure he took a class after falling out of the boat one time when he went fishing with his cousin Kai.Generally the longer a body is inanimate the less likely it is to take, but for reasons beyond Takato's pre-pubescent mind he still couldn't stop shaking.

First of all, the airway had to be checked and made sure it was clear. True Sakuyamon hadn't been around any water, but pieces of her mask could've easily got lodged in her throat when it crumbled. Takato parted her hair carefully and pushed his thumb into her mouth, pulling it open. A shiver went up the boy's spine as he seemed to become even more uncomfortable.

Next Takato used both hands to hold her mouth open bent over further and began exhaling as hard as he could into the Demon Woman. As soon as he felt his body touch hers his face went numb. He never was comfortable doing this, even in practice. And Sakuyamon was so much… softer than the test dummy Bob. He began trying to block out all sensation and focused just on counting breaths.

With his other hand he brushed off some of the remaining pieces of Sakuyamon's breastplate that clung to her body. He probably should've done that first. But he wasn't thinking of it at the time. When his hand brushed something soft he retracted it instantly like it had touched fire, and the way his entirely body turned red afterward, few would know the difference.

Third on the list he had to start pressing down on her chest, hard enough to crack ribs. Takato put one hand just above her and the other overtop and began pumping as hard as he could. However the woman's strength was now working against him. The whole reason you have to push down hard was to reach the organs behind the rib cage, but Sakuyamon wasn't a human, and whatever was underneath that black skin-tight outfit refused to give a hair's width.

"This… this isn't working!"

Tears began to well up in Takato's eyes as he had to start over. It was difficult to tell what was contributing to it more, fear or frustration. This time he didn't hesitating putting his lips on Sakuyamon's nor did he focus on counting. He was trying to figure out where he should try putting pressure next. Should he waste time trying to find out if another rib was already broken, or should he just try under the rib-cage. Quickly he decided on the latter.

After finishing the second step this time he went onto the third. Checking her heartbeat. Another adrenaline rush happened when Takato brought his ear to Sakuyamon's chest. This was another thing he should've done earlier but didn't think about. It didn't do him any good though. There was no way he could hear the Mega's heartbeat over the blood pounding in his own eardrums. He just quickly went back to the first step and repeated…

…and repeated…

…and repeated…

…and repeated…

…and…

Suddenly Sakuyamon's body erupted in light causing Takato to fall back on his butt. He wasn't sure if the CPR worked, or heck even if anything he did had any effect on Sakuyamon, but that didn't matter. The important thing was Rika and Renamon seemed to be alright now. They were both breathing, albeit they were both still unconscious. Now the boy had a new problem, how was he going to get them to a hospital? Even at his best he doubted he could carry Rika more than a few blocks. And Renamon, he'd be lucky if he could even pick her up at all.

Of course to every problem there is a solution. And while's Takato's first thought was to run out of the alley and flag down the nearest motorist, he quickly remembered that Rika had a cell phone on her. The boy cringed when he realized that meant rifling through her pockets. If she ever found out about this his life span would become indefinitely shorter. But once again, his lack of the ever elusive 'better option' had handcuffed him.

Naturally he started with the side pockets first. It was his hope that he could stay away from the awkward scenario and patting Rika's rear and thus further endangering his life. Unfortunately all he found was some loose change and a crumpled piece of paper depicting her hanging herself during English class. Apparently it wasn't her favourite subject and the funny little X's for eyes made the boy smile faintly, right before he remember where the last two pockets were located.

_Please don't wake up yet, please don't wake up yet…_

Takato reached for the friend slowly, jerking back only as her body moved… no vibrated was more like it actually. She shivered. It was at that point the gogglehead realized he left her on the cold cement. Grumbling to himself sheepishly about what a twit he was, he rectified the situation by placing his hoody under her head, and then proceeded to roll her onto her side. At least he didn't have to guess which pocket, the outline of her cell phone was clearly visible through the jeans.

Getting the cell phone was just as nerve-racking. In fact Takato closed his eyes while he made the grab for it, as if that would somehow help. Rika groaned as the gogglehead dialed the ambulance. It was reassuring to hear her voice again, even if it did sound strained. Of course that also meant it was getting closer to the time when she'd wake up and kill him for going through her pockets… Takato sweatdropped. After giving the operator the streets names which were still narrowly visible from his location in he fiddled with the phone nervously… he still had a call to make.

Takato sighed as he scrolled through the list of available options. If Rika was going to the hospital her mother should know about it. The boy frowned knowing full well Rika wasn't going to be happy with this either and began playing out various scenarios of all the ways she'd kill him.

Messages… E-mail… Pictures… Phonebook…

…Pictures…?

Takato shifted another glance to the sleeping beauty. Come to think of it, in the few times he had been allowed into her room, he didn't see any family photos. There weren't any in the living room either or the kitchen, of which the boy had visited during her birthday. But there were definitely some in her cell phone.

"Unnnhhnn."

Rika's low moan almost made Takato jump out of his skin as he quickly backtracked through the menus and found the number he was looking for. It sounded like the girl was actually on the verge of waking up. His time was short.

It was Rika's grandmother that picked up the line, Takato began to relax a little. Although when he tried to explain why he was calling, he began fumbling his words horribly all the same. For a second he paused, not because he was worried about how the lady would react, but rather because all the blood in his had just ran cold as he felt a hand on his should. Rika was awake and she wanted her cellphone back.

"_Hello? Young man, are you still there?"_

"Hey grandma, it's me."

"_Oh Rika, is everything all right. I think you're friend was trying to tell me something."_

"Yeah, that new Digital Field dropped us on the other side of the city, I'll be late for dinner."

"_Oh that's a relief. For a moment it sounded like your life was in danger."_

"Not as much as his is." Rika growled, casting a glare in the boy's general direction.

"_Pardon?"_

"Nothing grandma. I got some scratches from a wild one and the Gogglehead overreacted."

"_Nothing life-threatening I hope."_

"You know Takato, he thinks everything's life threatening."

"_I'll bet he's just worried about you."_

"Ya well I'm fine. See you soon."

"_Bye dear."_

Rika hung up and slid the phone back into her pocket without even glancing at the boy. The gogglehead was thankful, he doubted he would be able to lie if Rika asked if he was snooping. He was generally better at that with his parents. A quick scan of the area revealed Renamon had already disappeared and was probably watching from the shadows.

The red-head grunted as she tried to stand up, pressing her hand against the filthy alley wall for stability. Takato practically bounced up onto his feet and was offering his arm in a heartbeat. Rika just shot him a glare that could repulse stampeding buffalo and the boy shirked back… At least until Rika took another step and grabbed her stomach like she was afraid it would fall off.

"Rika!"

"I'm fine goggles… Just need… A moment of rest."

The mop-headed boy nodded. "That's a good idea. The ambulance should be here shortly."

"Ambulance?" Rika lurched forward again almost falling to her knees right then and there. Still she didn't make a sound. "I'm not sticking around to be poked and prodded."

"But your hurt."

"I'm fine." She repeated, like that had become her new catchphrase.

Takato frowned and stepped in front of her. He didn't try holding her back, at least not yet. Even in her weakened state she could still probably take him. "You don't look fine. You look like you can barely walk."

"I just had the wind knocked out of me." Rika took another step forward, began looking around as if she suddenly became aware of her surroundings. She didn't think much of when she said it over the phone, but she really was on the other side of the city. "What the?"

Takato recognized the look of confusing on her face. "Ahhh, well you see… We kinda need a ride home from the ambulance anyway." The boy grinned sheepishly.

"Gogglehead… why are we lost? And what happened to dragon breathe. Did Henry save us? Wait, please don't tell me it was Ryo."

Takato glanced off to the side wincing a little at the memory. "N-no. It wasn't any of them. Do you remember Omnimon?"

"From the V-Pet incident? How could I forget? It was the first time we took on a Mega."

"Well…" Takato fidgeted by the rubbing the back of his neck. "He sensed a disturbance and came to save us…"

"Good, Omnimon is one the toughest Digimon around. If anything could beat that guy he could…Takato?"

"He _was_ one of the toughest… Dorugoramon destroyed him and almost got us as well. And without Guilmon all I could do is watch." Takato crumpled down and leaned against the auburn brick walls as if the strength had just been sapped out of him. Rika did a double take; she could leave easily now if she wanted, instead, she followed suit with her friend and took up a seat beside him, still clutching her side.

"You're not going home?" The boy asked trying to sound like he still had at least some feeling in him.

"…" The girl didn't respond. She had a million excuses ready but they all seemed so vain at this point. Instead she just murmured a quick little inaudible something and let the awkward silence take up the air in a way that made them both uncomfortable.

"Ummm… Thanks for saving me earlier. You…" Takato paused sneaking a glance at Rika's expression. If she heard anything he was saying she didn't show it. Instead she was firmly fixatated on the wall across from her, zoned out from exhaustion or perhaps in deep thought from something else. It was impossible to tell with her. "…really went out of your way."

The silence returned, and seconds later so did the strange uncomfortable feeling. A few times Takato thought about turning to saying something, most of it pretty mundane, but always stopped himself before any sound came out, and inevitably back to his starting position. He knew he had something to say, he just didn't know himself what it was.

"I'm going home." Rika said standing up. Her voice matched her blank almost vacant expression.

"Halfway across the city? In you're condition?" Takato protested again.

"Quit worrying about me Gogglehead , I'm fine!" Rika raised her voice, causing the brown hair boy to stumble back. The tomboy seemed to calm down seeing his expression. "I mean, I'm feeling better. Besides, I have Renamon, and I could use some time to think."

Takato grew silent for a moment. There was no way he could out-stubborn Rika. But he seriously doubted she was 'fine' as well. He wanted, scratch that, _had_ to keep an eye on her. "Mind if I think with you?"

The girl nodded without even having to think about it. "Good thinking Goggles, I guess it had to happen sooner or later."

"Eh?"

"That Digimon found you so easily at the park, how long do you think it would take to track you down to the alley."

"O-Oh yeah. That's right." Takato forced a smile. Actually he hadn't considered that at all.

Most of the trip went by in silence. It took hours to get home, but neither child had a compliant. It was actually rather nice to enjoy the city so peacefully. Both children lost in their own little world, And Takato almost getting 'actually' lost several times because of it. The only time it nearly happened to Rika was when she stopped to look at some scenery. Following her gaze the boy a park filled with some very familiar trees, not that they were in blume mind you. Almost everything was bare this time of year save a few autumn leaves. Takato didn't ask why she was looking at them, he wouldn't get an answer anyway, he just patiently waited until she done and had caught up.

"Takato…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember my birthday?"

"Which part?" Takato asked, a grin starting to form already. "The army evil Digimon part or the Kazu and Kenta singing a duet part?"

"The… On second thought, never mind."

"…"

Rika left as soon as she Takato off at Henry's. The last thing she wanted was another kid fawning over her injuries which, again, from her stand-point were all minor. Upon entering the apartment the low calm air seemed to lift, probably because of Suzie and Terriermon, the former of which ran up and giddily wrapped herself around the boy's legs, while the latter plopped himself down of Takato's head.

"Terriermon! Er, little help." Takato pleaded.

The bunny dog just folded his arm. "Better you then me Takato, sorry."

"Momma, momma. I found another player." Suzie cried out.

"Player?"

"Sorry Takato I forgot to warn you…" Henry said calmly fishing out a plate of leftovers from the fridge and placing it next of the microwave. It was for the gogglehead, everyone else had finished eating and taken care of their dishes. Takato made a mental note about how clean the place was even with so many people, a stark contrast to his own home. "…Tonight is family game night. And Suzie has just recruited you to her team."

"Eh?

"Don't worry, you don't have to play. I haven't since I was-"

"I call Red!" Takato hollered. Suzie made little squeal of approval. "Er, sorry Henry I think I cut you off."

The blue-haired Tamer just stared at his friend for a moment as if to ask if he was actually serious, then cleared his throat. "I, uh, just thought I should warn you that I was the former champ."

Actually as it turned out, Henry's older sister Jaarin was the one who really ended up cleaning house. Everyone had to team up since for most games there weren't enough spots open. Lopmon naturally went with her partner since despite the fact that she had lived with the little girl for almost a year she still had trouble grasping the rules. The fact that Suzie kept trying to make them up as she went along probably didn't help. But everyone else was paired up randomly with the exception of Janyuu, who was still at work. Takato didn't notice it, since it was his first time, but truth be told, all the older siblings had stopped such silly board games years ago. The only thing that made any of them want to join in is when they saw how much fun Henry was having.

It had been a while since any member of the Wong family saw him enjoying himself that much at home, usually he was glued to a computer screen or focused on his homework. And it wasn't lost on the parents either, who also happened to pick up on the fact that these strange good moods often coincided with visits from Takato.

"Ha! I win." Terriermon announced from his standpoint on top of Takato's head.

"You mean _we_ win." The boy chided, leaning back so that the dog type could roll down his stomach.

"You are a worthy adversary Terriermon. Glad you're on my side… most of the time." Henry held out his hand.

"Don't make peace with the enemy." Rinchei, Henry's older brother scolded. "And we aren't done yet. We still got time for one more game."

"Aren't you boy's tired?" Jaarin asked wearily.

"Not me." Answered Takato. "I've been walking all day. My feet'll probably be sore for the next week."

"Yeah I meant to ask you about that. What kept you out so late, and without even giving me a call. We were starting to get worried sick about you."

"Probably enjoying his alone time with Rika." Terriermon giggled, right before the mop headed boy grabbed him and began kneading him like the dough at his bakery. "Ack, I'm under attack. Hee hee. Help Henry it tickles."

"Rika? Is the girl with the sock puppet or the attitude?"

"Attitude, and it's really not that bad once you get to know her." Henry explained.

"Really? wow, sounds like you got your hands full." Jaarin smiled placing her arm on Takato's shoulder and leaning in close to his ear. "If you need any tips…"

Takato flushed, badly. And all eyes fell on him as he began to look like a sunset with feet. It wasn't just what they were insinuating between him and Rika that was making feel light-headed though, It was the memories that were attached to it; first having the Demon's woman's body being pressed down on him, then trying to resuscitate her, and even rifling through the girl's pockets. He was infinitely glad she didn't ask him about it, hopefully she didn't even know it happened.

But really, knowing his luck she'd probably remember it in a day or two.

"T-That's not it at all." Takato stammered while the older girl giggled and got up to stretch her legs and grab a snack. "The Digital Field dropped us on the other side of the town and Rika's Cell phone wouldn't work so we just decided to huff it back."

"How come her phone didn't work."

"It was… busted? No wait, it had no signal."

Rinchei frowned. "Well which was it? Broken or Signaless?"

"Ummm, little of both?" Takato ventured.

Henry sighed, Takato could take the prize for the all time worst liar ever. But he didn't press it, if something happened between him and Rika, it wasn't any of his business… for the moment. "You're lucky Takato. There was an accident on the other side of town that took place shortly after you disappeared."

"An accident?"

Jaarin walked back into the room chewing on some pocky. "You didn't see it. Apparently it was pretty bad. An ambulance was responding to a call when a kid stumbled onto the street right in front of it."

"Eh?" Takato's mouth hung open. That… couldn't have been the ambulance he called. Although come to think of it they were strangely late.

"The kid said someone started a fight with him for no reason and shoved him onto the road... It sounds so unreal. I mean, who does that?"

"Mmmm. I hope everyone was all alright."

"Way to be a downer Henry." Terriermon reprimanded.

The Tamers sighed once more before Henry's mother issued the order to begin packing everything up and Suzie was forced to stop playing with all the tiny pieces. The children had time for one more quick snack if they wanted before they went to bed and then it was lights out. Takato waddled into his friends room before collapsing on the futon, the day's events showing their wear on him. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, an hour, the child couldn't sleep, He couldn't stop thinking about what happened before. He needed to talk to someone unfortunately he wasn't sure who.

Naturally Guilmon and Henry were the first two choices. However Guilmon was probably already asleep like the dead and would be that way for a while yet. Plus, he didn't have a key to the bakery for after they closed up so that was a bust.

Henry was much more plausible, but he was asleep too. And somehow waking him up to explain what happened with him, Dorugoramon, Omnimon, and Rika was a… less than attractive prospect.

There was on other possibility… Renamon. She was still awake and she already knew most of what happened so things so be… less awkward with her (A stunning change from the norm I might add) But no, The gogglehead was not so desperate that he was go scour the city in the middle of the night just to get his feelings out. He didn't even know where to find Renamon. Was always with Rika or did she go out on patrols? Mumbling something inaudible the boy turned back once more to sleep and closed his eyes, just barely catching a glimpse of Terriermon who had curled on Henry's computer chair.

"Terriermon huh? Maybe I should listen to him for once and just… momentai."

* * *

Takato frowned at the scene in front of him. Rika's gate, tall towering, like an initial warning before meeting her in person. Why was he here? He had no idea really. If he had to guess he'd probably say he'd given into his childishness and come here to find the infamous kitsune… or Rika, you know, whichever he found first would be fine. He just had to talk to her. That was all, he couldn't be at ease until he said… something to her. He still wasn't sure what. That was the really twisted thing, he wasn't even sure he knew what was really bothering him. Given how the past couple weeks have been going he could practically pick his grievances the way others pick their Danish. But still he knew he had to be here, even if it was only about two in the morning. 

Climbing the gate was easier than he thought it would be. It's was too bad Kazu and Kenta weren't around, it would've been a good chance to show off to them. Of course, the child could've knocked, but he didn't want to wake up Rika's family. That might make things awkward. Frowning to himself as he snuck across the courtyard the gogglehead felt a little strange. His thoughts seemed natural, but unfamiliar, like he wasn't thinking as clearly as normal. Oh well, probably the lack of sleep.

Sneaking into Rika's room was easy enough. Her mom was fast asleep and her grandmother was glued to the computer. The only person that should've still been able to catch him, Renamon, was no where in sight. Even as tired as he was he found that more than a little odd. Then again, who knows perhaps Renamon found a hobby. Maybe it was reading poetry… yeah, maybe not. Takato chuckled while simultaneously reprimanding himself for acting so goofy. Renamon probably didn't up because she knew him, there was no reason to be on alert with him. The child frowned, wasn't there something off with that logic?

Okay he had reached his destination, Rika's room. Time to wake her and summon death. Since there was no 'good' way to do it without having her enraged, he decided he might as well have as much fun as possible while doing it. Again, Takato got the sense those weren't his usual thoughts. But who cares, he's having fun. A laboured groan seemed to snap the boy slightly closer to his right mind as a wave of concern flooded through him. That's right, Rika kept saying she as fine before, but she probably really wasn't… How come he just let go before? He should've been more insistent. Omnimon needed help too but again, he was useless.

Gingerly, Takato rolled up the girl's shirt and pressed firmly inside her side. Another moan and Rika flinched, her unconscious body trying to get away from whatever was attacking her. Takato sighed. Nothing seemed broken, but something was wrong. He had heard of internal bruises before, but really didn't know anything about them other that what they were called. The boy's grimaced increased, what was he doing here anyway. Didn't he have something he wanted to talk to her about…? Well, whatever it was it could wait. He got up, ready to leave, when something inspired him to glance back.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot."

Palming something with a skill the boy didn't remember having, he took a step back towards Rika. There wasn't even any hesitation when he raised the object, a small blade and brought it down on her stomach. She would of course wake up to scream, but that's why his other hand was wrapped around her head crushing it. The terrified look in her eyes was particularly satisfying, almost as much as the look of confusion and hurt that followed. Describing it would be useless because it was, quite simply, beyond words.

Renamon burst in holding her stomach. Right, the whole shared pain thing. Usually only feelable in the Ultimate level. How come it was active now? Was it because Rika's life was in danger? Somehow, that was expected, but it was also too late.

"Rika!" The Vulpine's eyes widened when she saw who the attacker was. "You?!"

Why waste time answering to garbage. Takato hunched down ignoring the expression on the kitsune's face and exploded in a wicked lunge, the arc of which covered the entire room. Renamon did the same, but it was useless, nothing could hurt him, certainly not some two bit Digimon Rookie. Just before he slashed Renamon to pieces he caught a glimpse of himself in her eye.

"_What in the world...?"_

"Waa-gah!"

The shouted coarsely before choking on his own breathe. A fact of which just might have saved him from accidentally waking everyone in the whole complex up. It was only a dream… a very real, very… disturbing dream. Takato glanced at his pillow on the floor like he was afraid to place his head back on it. A feeling like that had had never known. So much hate and rage it stifled the mind… Actually scratch that, he did feel something like that once before, but at least then there was a reason!

Takato shook his head wandered into the living room trying to relax while he figured out the purpose of the dream. He _was _still worried about how Rika was doing, so that might explain the first part of it but… what about the rest? It was such a weird experience, but even that was fading quickly as most dreams do. Takato reached for the phone, still not sure exactly who he wanted to call. Everyone was most likely asleep by now, so it would be rude. And heaven help him if he ever woke the wildcat up for something this stupid. With that in mind, he dialled her home number anyway after a few hesitant attempts. If he was lucky, someone else would answer.

"_Hello? It's a little late to be asking if you can come over young man."_

Takato blinked at his good fortune. It was the grandmother, probably the most open and easiest to get along with of all the women in the household. But hang on… "Huh? How id you know it was me?"

"Takato? I thought it was Henry. We do have caller ID you know."

"O-oh. Sorry. Ummm…Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time." The boy floundered. He hadn't really thought this far ahead yet. "How's Rika? Err, I-I mean, did she say anything about the Wild One today?"

"Afraid not." Seiko replied wistfully. "She just came home and went straight to bed. Didn't even touch her dinner."

"Oh… Uhhh can I… speak to Renamon then please."

Seiko arched a brow. This was a first. Normally Renamon was as Rika's shadow, socially as well as physically. This was the first time someone had asked to speak to her specifically that she knew of. The Rookie, hearing as sharp as ever, had already materialized just inside of a few nearby shadows. The elderly woman handed the phone of gracefully.

"You'll let me know if it's anything important, won't you?"

Renamon just gave a solemn nod before lifting the phone to her ear. Seiko gave a small chuckle as if fit rather strangely against the side of her head. Foxes were significantly different than humans after all. "Yes?"

"Oh, hi Renamon. U-ummm. How is Rika."

"Sleeping. Is there something you needed to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, I… just don't know how to say it."

"Generally it works better if you get to the point rather than stalling." Renamon stated calmly. On the other end of the line the child had to wonder if the Digimon was actually losing her patients with him or not.

"Right… Can you… watch Rika for the night?"

"I would've done that anyway."

"I know but usually you stay on the roof, right? Ummm, can you stay in her room her room this time, just for this one night… Please."

"…Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just got a bad feeling."

Renamon paused before answering. It was clear there was something else going on, but for whatever reason, Takato didn't want tot talk about it. "Very well. I shall do as you ask for tonight."

"Thanks Renamon. That takes a real load off my mind."

"…"

"Err, well… Thank again. Bye."

With that Takato hung up the phone. Only one more thing he needed to take care of. Moving as quietly as he could he slipped back into Henry's room and changed his clothes before making for the door. A quickly giggle stopped him cold in his tracks.

"Terriermon?"

"Hee hee. That's riiiiiight. "

The gogglehead exhaled deeply. This was the last person he wanted to deal with right now. "What are you doing up?"

Terriermon grabbed his ears and flapped them towards Takato. "You screamed like a girl and woke me. I think that qualifies as rude you know. And just what do you think you're up to anyway, sneaking out by yourself like that."

"I'm just going for a walk to clear my head. I had a busy day you know."

"Oh? And how's Rika doing." The bunny-dog asked coyly in voice that showed he had heard the phone call a moment ago clearly.

"She's fine!" Takato blurted out, like a knee-jerk reaction. He couldn't help but feel the irony as he repeated the same two word's Rika kept telling him. "I-I'm not going to see her."

"Hee hee. I only asked how she was doing. I didn't really think you were going to her place… but now I do."

"I'm just going for a walk, to see Guilmon… Because I haven't seen him in a while." Takato repeated, regaining his composure.

"See." Lopmon's voice rang out from behind the Tamer. "I told you Takato wasn't up to anything."

_She's awake too? Oh right,__ the ears._

"You're too gullible Lopmon. If I had to make a guess I'd be willing to bet our fearless leader here is heading out to the digital field all by his lonesome."

Takato froze. Terriermon, in his usual only half-serious manner had actually hit a slam dunk with what the boy was trying to do. "D-Don't be silly. I'm just going for a walk because I haven't seen Guilmon in a bit. I'll be back within the hour."

"At two in the morning?" Terriermon chuckled to himself. "Well if you say so. I won't tell Henry but you better have your keester back in bed before her wakes up, ya hear me mister."

"Yes mom." Takato did an exaggerated bow, trying to hide the smile Terriermon had brought across his face while the rabbit/dog scurried past his legs. "And thanks."

Meanwhile Renamon waited patiently in Rika's room still unsure of why she was even there to begin with. The rays of moonlight forcing their way through the little girl's screen door and still falling just short of her futon. Still though, she felt some clue might've perhaps been hidden in the day's earlier happenings. Perhaps she missed something while she was out cold. The Rookie frowned in spite of herself, perhaps she was over thinking this. Maybe the boy, Takato, was just letting his anxiety get the better of him because Rika refused to go to the hospital. Renamon touched her stomach fondly for a moment. As Sakuyamon, she could have sworn she felt a presence nearby as she began to regain consciousness. In fact it was very close, just hovering over top of her, Pressing down on her chest, and blowing into her mouth. Renamon recognized the latter feeling of course, she had seen pairs of humans doing it in the streets and parks during her patrols, on billboards and TVs. It was called… kissing wasn't it? It was a strange sensation to be sure, it was forceful, but delicate in a way that made Renamon unsure of whether it had actually been trying to attack her or not. But in the end a feeling was just a feeling. With her senses fogged during that time she didn't remember much more than the queer sensations here and there. It felt like a dream, and even if it wasn't it seemed inconsequential to the fox type for the moment, Still she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on than just what she was seeing, in more ways that one.

Renamon had just refocused her gaze on her partner when something managed to surprise her. The shadows of two perfectly formed silhouettes washed over the room, casually glancing towards the door, as if they could see through walls and peer inside at will. The first one looked strange, not like a Digimon she had even seen before, but one thing that was easy to recognize was the form of a knife swinging back and forth in it's hand. There wasn't even a question of who the second one was, she'd know that form anywhere. It was Dorumon.

"Hold it!"

In a burst of speed even she could be proud of, Renamon heaved herself backwards and opened the screen, just as the shadows disappeared completely off to the side.

"What are you doing here?!"

"My my. It is my home too you know."

Renamon was stunned. "Ms. Hata… I'm sorry. I mistook you for someone else."

"Why is everyone so jumpy tonight? Well, I suppose you wouldn't tell me the real reason even if I asked you."

"Truth is, I'm not quite sure myself."

"Is that so." The older woman glanced down thoughtfully. "Well, normally I'd invite you to a cup of tea, but I'm afraid I'm at my limit right now. I need to go to bed, perhaps tomorrow."

"It would be a pleasure."

With a smile and a small wave the older woman disappeared down the corridor while retreated back into her partner's room. This time when she closed the screen, she left it open just a crack. If someone did pass by again, this time Renamon would know for sure. But beyond that, one more thing still bothered her.

"I… didn't even sense those two."

**What went wrong.**

**It was the phone call. That kid tipped her off.**

**Him again? You should have torn him in half when you had the chance.**

**You make it sound so simple. He seems to know where we're going to be before we're there. And given how well YOU follow a plan that's something of a miracle in itself.**

**Wow… you actually sound like you want to be deleted.**

**Hmph, it seems a decent alternative to being your slave. But if you really want to see if it's worth it, why not wait just a little longer.**

**Why?**

**He's coming. In fact, he's right outside waiting for me.**

Dorumon stepped out of the Digital field into the abandoned tunnel. Directly across from him were Takato and Guilmon. "I've been looking forward to this, Tamer."

"Guilmon, get ready."

"That's the Digimon that beat Rika? But he looks like me."

Takato sweatdropped. "He's purple and furry…"

"Hi!" didn't hear his partner and instead began waving. "Wanna be friends."

"…" Dorumon glanced at Takato. "Is he for real? I'm the one that attacked you at your shed, stupid."

"Why did you do that?"

"Ugh, it's like talking to a retarded kid."

"Hey!" Takato and Guilmon both shouted at once.

"**Metal Cannon!"**

Guilmon turned feral faster than you could blink or Takato could swipe a card and snapped the orb out of the air easily with thick jaw, only being pushed back slightly.

"**Metal Cannon!"**

"**Rock Breaker!"** This time Guilmon didn't even defend but rather rushed ahead bearing his skull and weapon. The cannon didn't even slow him down, but rather shattered on contact. All the while red hot flames were building up in the dino's throat and were on the verge of spilling out of his mouth.

"**Pyro Sphere!"**

Wising sensing that he was outmatched as a Rookie, Dorumon retreated into the Digital Field, the Tamer and his part disappeared into as well a second later.

**Biomerge Activate!

* * *

**

**A/N:**

Wow… big chapter. I wanted to get all this done in the last chapter too but damn, I was debating splitting it again. It really suck that this all take about 5 minutes in my head and a month to write. Just to address some a quick question: Why the other Tamers didn't come back to help. That's simply because none of the other had their Digimon on them. Henry and Kenta had brought theirs too school before but I's not a regular thing. Terriermon usually coming along when not invited and Marine Angemon only showing up once in some ending credits, I think to the movie. Rika's the only one that can summon her partner at will so that's why she was the only one to come back to Takato's aid while the other all got their partners.

Heh heh. Omnimon… Wonder how many of you saw that coming.


	15. Chapter 15

It was an all too familiar scene. Armageddemon was poised to attack the bridge, having just digivolved from about a million Kuramon and eager to show off his new power. The people on the bridge stood witless, being to too stunned to move or not realizing that even from that distance their lives were in immediately peril. Slowly the Viral Mega opened his mouth and began charging his attack.

By now you've probably recognized the scene, but this was no movie. Omni wasn't going to show up and save the day. And instead of firing, Armageddemon explode into a million pieces when Dorugoramon landed on his head and shrieked out his 'Metal Impulse' attack. On the bridge, Gallantmon materialized out of thin air and made his stand at the edge of the bridge.

This was an entirely different showdown.

Not want to waste any time Gallant made the first move, crouching down low and widening his stance as his shield the aegis began to glow.

"Shield of the Just!

Dorugoramon sneered and as a massive beam of light erupted at him. Quickly he brace himself on Armegeddemon's still crumbling corpse and leapt off it, not to dodge, but rather to meet the attack head on, and rip right through it. It didn't even have the force needed to char his armor. Something was wrong, he wasn't this strong before, was he? The massive dragon stretched out his wings and continued forward. People were finally starting to get the idea that they should run.

"_Not good~"_ Gallantmon thought. _"But we can still take'em. All his attacks are close ranger and his size makes him slower than us... the water is a bit of an issue but as long as he needs to come to us to attack..." _Gallantmon readied his lance. _"Then this will be the last day you come after my friends."_

Dorugoramon smirked again like he could read Gallantmon's thoughts, then quickly opened his mouth and unleashed a blast that looked and sounded all too familiar. "OMEGA CANNON!"

"No!"

Gallantmon barely had time to raise his shield before the attack ploughed into him and exploded with an immense shockwave that tossed nearby cars like ragdoll while simultaneously twisting them in half and lighting them on fire. That didn't feel like a long range attack, hell it didn't even feel like he blocked it. It felt more like he tried giving a buss a highfive as it passed by doing 90 on the freeway. The kind of feeling where afterwards you have to check your arm to make sure it's still there.

But at least now he knew why Dorugoramon seemed stronger. He was! When he lost the Tamers instead of just sitting around moping he went back and loaded Omnimon's data like a late night snack. It would have been nice to try and think of a counter measure for this new development but...

"Takato!" Guilmon's voice rang in the Tamer's mind.

Gallant looked down but he could already feel what was happening. The part of the bridge he was standing on was giving away. The knight barely even got a hand up fast enough to snag a piece of jutting out rebar to keep himself from falling into the water, not that it mattered, he was still dangling from the bridge, which was exactly what DoruGoramon wanted.

In on brutal swoop the dragon surged through the section of the bridge tearing it all down. Gallantmon tried to jerk himself up so he could land on the Mega's back but he was merely swatted back down by one massive bladed wing. As big as DoruGoramon was, his timing was flawless. So naturally, the split second Gallantmon was in the air again DoruGoramon clawed at his mask, intending to rip it to pieces. This time the knight was quick enough though, just barely raising his shield in time.

"My turn! Shield of the-"

"To slow, Metal Impulse!"

Now, the shockwave from Dorugoramon's 'Metal Impulse' is a pretty mean piece of work. But when you have direct contact with that attack, it jumps to a whole new level of pain and destruction. The Aegis resonated in the vilest of ways, shredding itself up from the inside while Gallantmon's largely metal body ferried the damage in lesser amounts to the rest of Gallantmon's armour. The shield wasn't just shaken, it was completely destroyed to the point where it disintegrated into nothingness. It was gone, and so was the only attack that might've been able to wear through the dragons metal-armor hide.

Not one for admiring his handiwork until he was done, DoruGoramon nose-dived swinging Gallantmon into the water as hard as he could. So hard in fact he actually skipped 3 times before slamming into the side on a container ship. Gallantmon was still so dazed and wreaked from the last attack he barely felt a thing when the dragon tore into him again.

"Metal Impulse!"

The damage this time was severe. His armour cracks and broke off into bits and pieces. A wave of darkness passed over him almost sending the knight to sleep. Gallantmon shook it off. He couldn't allow his body to give up on him yet. Quickly he checked to make sure all his piece were accounted for... his lance survived, his armour... had seen better days. Next... DoruGoramon! He let go? No, the piece of armour he grabbed had been disintegrated. But why didn't he follow up? Where was he?

A quick survey of his surroundings revealed mostly darkness save for the odd glint of light off scrap metal. The attack had pushed him inside the ship. The the dragon was probably...

"OMNI CANNON!"

"No!" Gallant dove for the exit, the hole he'd made earlier when he was impulse inside. He thought he'd made it for a second, then everything went white.

DoruGoramon hovered above the bridge and the container ship he destroyed, smiling slightly as the flames acted as monument to his conquest... meagre victory that it was. It wasn't even a challenge. It did nothing to satisfy the warrior inside of him. What was there to do now but take pot shots at the little digital humans that were still yelling and fleeing on the other side of the bridge. Hey! Maybe he could try out Gallantmon's attack on them... that is if the knight ever fragmented into data like he was supposed to... Actually, do Biomerge digimon do that... or did they just revert? It'd be interesting to find out...

"Lightnging Joust!"

...Although that was clearly not going to happen yet.

The attack ripped out of the water from behind. The dragon was too big to dodge so instead he just let the attack collide harmlessly into his back. Glancing behind him, he could see hide nor hair of Gallantmon, just the ripples in the water generated by his attack. A simple, old, yet effective strategy... It would probably work against most digimon... DoruGoramon was not most digimon. Silently he stopped flapping his massive wings... and let himself fall peacefully into the water below.

"Clever knight. I'm impressed you can swim in your state, with that body... However..."

Another blast as soon as soon the dragon hit the water. The bubbles kept him from getting a good look at wear the attack came from, just a general idea. He waited for another. This time it came from the left, The massive mega dodged it. On ground he may have been at a disadvantage but in water his wings allowed him to move elegantly. He closed in on where the attack came from in seconds, but Gallantmon had already dove deeper and evaded. A low growl escaped echoes through the water. It was time to end this. Silently the dragon spread his hands as far as he could, and then slapped them together.

Metal Impulse!

Gallantmon was still moving into position at the moment, trying to find a good vantage point to attack from. The limited visibility in the water that allowed his to stay hidden worked both ways. But that was fine. Gallantmon was in no rush to have more parts of himself ripped apart. He'd stay in the water, prodding DoruGoramon with Lightning Jousts until he found a weakness. Every mon had them after all. And after he found it, he go in for the take down. That was the plan, until for a brief second it felt like the entire ocean tried to give him a bear hug. Bit of loose armour peeled off and the previously formed cracks turned into fissures through his body.

"W-what... the?"

Gallantmon tried to recover himself in the water, but he was hurting pretty bad. Finally he let his body drift for a moment. He needed a second to rest, not that he'd get it. A second later he was crushed again in the same way. But at least this time he could see what happened. He only noticed it because of aimless drifting cause him to look at the surface. It was the shockwaves from DoruGoramon's 'Metal Impulse'. The water was carrying them, making them impossible to dodge.

"I have to get out of here!" Gallantmon could see another shockwave already headed his way. Quickly he aimed lance down. "Lightning Joust!"

"Omni Cannon!"

The beam fired from Gallantmon's lance worked kind of like a makeshift rocket. It just barely had enough force to propel himself up and out of the water for a second. Sadly, it also revealed his location to DoruGoramon who was on him like white on rice. The dragon once again fired his new cannon attack which detonated under the surface, spewing water 3 square blocks in every direction, more than enough to smokescreen Gallantmon. The knight considered firing a blast to clear it, but he might accidently fire straight into the city, and DoruGoramon probably wouldn't even feel it.

Gallantmon didn't even notice the dragon emerge from behind until he felt his claws digging into his armour again, snatching him out of the air by the same damaged arm that used to hold the shield. Instinctively. glancing to the side, Gallantmon could see the dragon's other claw coming up from his left. Another point blank attack to his core might just finish him.

"Metal IMPULSE!"

Reacting on a dime Gallantmon brought both his legs up kicking as hard into the dragon's attacking arm as he could. He didn't want to hit the claws directly of course, that would just destroy his feet and make it all but impossible to evade. Instead he nailed to forearm from the bottom, angling to attack upwards. Ducking as low as he could and twisting around so he was facing the arm head on, he grabbed the arm between his knees and jammed it into the arm that was holding him. DoruGoramon just used his attack on himself.

The beast dragon snarled, paying little mind to his arm being shredded and the shingles of armor being pealed off. He wouldn't drop Gallantmon either, not when he could hold on and ensure the shockwave passed through him too. Gallantmon was still trying to worm free, time to put an end to that.

"Omni-"

Again Gallantmon moved with unreal speed, pulling himself by his ensnared arm he did a horizontal 180 this time slamming his knee into the dragon's other arm and wrenching his hand free. At once he started to free fall but quickly grabbed onto the Mega's leg. If he fell back into the water DoruGoramon could just start taking potshots, or enter somewhere and use his Metal impulse. He'd be finished.

DoruGoramon saw what was happening. He was trying to hold back his attack but from the second he started he only had two second tops. However the Beast Dragon was no slouch, with one quick strong flick of his tail Gallantmon was sent sailing through the air. One well placed shot aaand...

"CANNON!"

Gallantmon whipped around, tearing off it his cape and throwing it in front of him as a faint. Not much of a faint at that distance but it worked. It threw off the dragon's aim just enough to allow him to dodge. The attack ripped through right over Gallantmon shoulder and next to his head. He could feel the heat from it on his entire body.

_Wow. I haven't taken my clothes off that fast since that one time Kazu spilt milk on me and told me it was acid... In the cafeteria... in front of all those people._

Gallantmon train of thought was shattered when something stopped his momentum backward. It felt like a brick wall but in actuality it was something more solid, one of the supports for the bridge.

_Oww... Well I guess I could use a five second break. _Gallantmon glanced ahead. He could already his DoruGoramon flying at him, preparing another attack.

"OMNI CANNON!"

_Awww nuts. That is so not five seconds._

Gallantmon lunged upwards as the attack crashed into the support beams. The bridge in it's entirety wobbled.But it wasn't a bad thing, actually it was just what the exalted knight wanted. Gallantmon flipped over the railing once he reached the top, a quick check for civilian stragglers didn't reveal any. He was ready.

"Lightning joust!"

He attack was a direct hit nailing the dragon the second his head peeked over the railing. It's didn't do much damage though; actually it didn't do any at all. It was more of an attention getter like... just being slapped awake by that annoying person in your house who is so going eat a METAL IMPULSE the second you get your hands on his neck.

"I'm only going to ask you this once. Why are you doing this?"

DoruGoramon shirked. "Well it was either this or reading to orphans... I hate kids soo~"

Gallantmon readied his lance. "..."

"Ha ha ha! That's more like it. To be honest this is first time someone in your little treehouse gang hasn't disappointed me."

"It's a shed!" Guilmon's voice retorted

"Don't care. Tell you what. As thanks for giving me at least one moment in my life that was actually worth living, pick a more interesting question and I may just give you a real answer."

_Huh? It sounds like he's expecting to die...?_

There was so much so ask about. The Digital Field, the girl Ryo found, Calumon's disappearance, the weird dreams he's been having... there was too much. Maybe he should ask about his enemies, anything could help. Who was really behind this and why? How many of them were there? If he could just figure out-

"Cyberdramon!" Gallantmon was shocked at his own statement. Why was he thinking about that now.

"Hmmm...?" DoruGoramon let a bemused expression cross his face.

"What were talking with him about? Who is he really?"

"Lack of trust in one of your 'friends'?"

Gallantmon frowned. That wasn't it. But if there conversation was so bad even Cyberdramon didn't want his partner to know... "What's wrong. Question not interesting enough?"

The dragon's smile grew wider. "Alright. You two have more in common than you think. Cyberdramon is actually two digimon. One being Monodramon, the other making your own Megidramon look like little more than a stray dog off his leash."

"..." Gallantmon didn't move, but it was clear his was trying to digest that statement.

"What do you know... of Milleniumon."

"Well this isn't good." Terriermon murmured.

"No kidding. How did Takato get through this?" Henry asked in amazement.

The two were standing at the entrance to the underground tunnel. The place was thick with massive rusted chains wall to wall and one link being the size of a person. There was no way in. Even MegaGargomon would have to level the entire place the reach the middle.

"I think we've been locked out Henry... Maybe there's a key under the mat?"

"Doubt it." Henry stated, only half paying attention. His mind was too preoccupied. partly on trying to find a way around this and the other part... "I still don't understand why he didn't wake me... We've all agreed this place is too dangerous to go in solo."

"Maybe he thought he had too."

Henry gasped and spun around, relaxing only slightly when he realized the voice belonged to Yamaki. The gentleman strolled up to the chains carefully, looking them over as if to appraise their value.

"Yamaki? Don't tell me this is a social visit."

"Strictly business. Looks like I was right about where you were heading."

"Awww. Your no fun." Terriermon quipped

"So this is what all the fuss is about..." Yamaki went on as if he hadn't heard the question. "Interesting interpretation of a firewall. To answer your question I'm here to see you since I suspect my phone has been compromised."

"You knew I'd be here?"

Yamaki nodded. "I had Megumi bug certain systems in Hypnos. Not much since basic PCs aren't equipped to handle data the way Hypnos servers are but at the very least I was able to get the tracking up and running."

"But isn't Hypnos a government operation, which would make what your doing-"

"-Highly illegal. That's why I'm speaking to you and not your father. If Fujiyama figures out what we're doing he look for any excuse possible to take down the monster makers as well."

"Right..." Henry nodded. "So you're telling me because I have easy access to my dad. If something goes wrong I can pass the message on discreetly. But wait, what do you mean Takato thought he had to come alone."

"A recent trend it seems. You new enemy seems to only attack when your isolated. That Digital field yesterday in the park was a mess."

"It was?"

Yamaki turned slightly... "You didn't notice? I guess Takato and Rika didn't figure it out either."

"Notice what?" Henry demanded.

"The digital field. It expanded yesterday and dropped a Rookie right near Takato. I know Digimon can usually detect each other in close proximity but the digital field seems to have changed slightly to render that ability inert... Why do you look so surprised. They didn't mention this to you?"

"No..." Henry frowned. He knew the Digital Field had expanded but no hostiles showed up on his D-Arc. "...They didn't. What happened next."

"I have no idea. Even at Hypnos I've never seen anything like it. It looked like another Digital Field opened up inside the first one. Your friends went off the grid for a while before reappearing on the other side of town. Sakuyamon was barely registering..."

Yamaki stopped for a second, instinctively flicking his lighter open and shut a couple times before deciding to continue. Henry was one of the main Tamers and had displayed excellent judgement in most situations. He could handle what came next.

"...You know, back when I was still making the Juggernaught... I saw a lot of Digimon a lot stronger than she was in that state disperse into data."

Henry sighed. Now he was starting to understand his friend's strange behaviour. Terriermon giggled to himself on the boy's back. "Well at least someone cares enough to keep us in the loop."

"No problem. But your loop might be getting smaller soon."

"..." The Chinese tamer paused. He didn't like the sound of this.

"Two of the systems we bugged we recently lost."

"They found you?"

Yamaki shrugged. "If they did then I should already be in jail... That part doesn't make sense to me." Glancing out of the corner of his shades he saw the Tamer was folding his arms. Clearly further explanation was needed. "Fujiyama is clever but I wouldn't describe him as being the most capable. Plus I don't think he'd be able to exercise the self control needed to keep himself from getting me locked away. My bet is his assistant found them and hasn't reported them to her boss."

Henry arched a brow. "This might be none of my business, but both you and Riley act... not yourselves when it comes to her. I'm guessing you worked together."

Yamaki flicked his lighter again, still staring ahead. "She was the previous administrator of Hypnos, back when I was still a programmer playing with my little Yugoth programs and Juggernaught was still a pipe dream."

"Did she get promoted?"

"..."

"Fired?"

Yamaki nodded. "I said Juggernaught was a pipe dream right, well that doesn't mean I was still stuck in the planning phase. I had about 2 years of work done on it, and I wanted to make it in an official project so I pitched it to Ms. Shoryu in an attempt to get it funded."

"How'd that go?" Henry asked.

"A little too well. I got the funding I wanted... actually I got three times what I asked for. It became the primary focus for Hypnos. It would be years before a full version of Juggernaught was created and if you'll remember even that had some serious flaws."

"Awww, but Deva's seemed to like it." Terriermon chortled.

"Don't remind me." Yamaki muttered. "Well our director in her infinite wisdom decided to test a trial version only a few months after I pitched it to her. We still couldn't interface with the Digital World well at that point, only monitor it. So testing didn't make any sense."

"But she did it anyway?"

"Yeah. And just about everyone in the building became violently ill within minutes. That was one of the reasons I was protesting it. Primitive versions of Juggernaught weren't safe to be used anywhere near humans. High frequency signals travel through humans easily, but super low frequencies like 1 or 2 hertz can damage cells over time. This was made to be much worse. We were lucky the building was shielded both inside and out."

Henry nodded. "I see. That's more than just reckless. Didn't they charge her?"

"With what? The existence of Digimon was still highly classified. It was impossible to get her into court. They just wanted her to disappear for a while and she did. The wonder of politics."

"You've got to be kidding..." Henry rolled his eyes in disbelief. "... I take it you were the one that hit the kill switch."

Yamaki nodded. "Not that it did anything. Apparently the Juggernaught had damaged our systems and the ones that were shielded were just faulty. Also I didn't have access to the main generators and our fearless director had disappeared. I couldn't even get a hold of her given how much damage the Juggernaught did to my phone. And the crème de la crème, as soon as people started getting sick the doors shut and the building locked down."

Henry gulped. "What happened."

Yamaki smirked. "Our building has some big windows... I managed to get outside and borrowed someone else's phone. I got a hold of the city power grid and had them stage a blackout."

"You actually managed to convince them to do that?"

The man's smirk grew wider. "I've always been good at politics, and one of the higher employees owed me a rather large favour. After that incident they wanted to shut Hypnos down. Who do you think convinced them to restart it with me in charge."

"Hee hee." Terriermon giggled madly to himself. "Geez I may not have given you enough credit. Who'd you sucker into that one?"

"Among others, Fujiyama."

"...Oh." Henry stated blankly. "Where were Riley and Megumi during all this."

"Not at Hypnos." Yamaki started. "Most people quit that day which was fine with me. One of things I asked for in restarting the facility was a completely new team. I had dossiers on all the best programmers and technicians, even your dad."

Henry arched a brow.

"I didn't hire him of course. You see few knew the security and fail safes of Hypnos the way I did. I designed many of the technical aspects myself. Ms Shoryu of course wrote the protocols and was briefed on everything. It should not have failed... not like that. I became convinced that woman was a Digimon sympathizer. I didn't want anyone one my team that I considered an 'emotional risk'." Yamaki narrowed his eyes. Even after all these years, it was easy to see this wasn't just a mere office rivalry.

"But wait, why's she with Fujiyama now if she's..."

Yamaki nodded, loosening his expression slightly. "That I don't have an answer for... maybe I was wrong about her... at least her intentions. But I still think I'm right about her keeping those bugs she found away from Fujiyama." The blond held his head as if he was getting a headache. "I may not be able to tell you what her motivations are, but the fact remains she is very capable and very dangerous. Watch yourself around her."

Henry nodded. "Will do, thanks. Now if we could just get into that digital field... Hang on. That explains why you dislike her but if Riley wasn't around then..."

Yamaki flicked his lighter. "This is actually the second time I've seen that woman this year, after a decade of her being a ghost. Those two must have met during the first."

Henry glanced over. "Oh, when was this?"

"It was about..." Yamaki paused, as if a sudden realization just came over him. Finally he tore his gaze away from the chains and looked directly at the young boy beside him. "...A week before your digimon came back."

_Geez. That's the second class in a row he's missed. I hope he's not stuck across town again... maybe rescuing some damsel in distress. _Kazu sighed. _'Wish I got to save the girl once in a while._

"Kazu!" Ayeka snapped, bring the boy back down to reality. "Either pay attention or stop looking at my answers."

"I meant the cute girl..."The visor clad tamer grimaced.

"Huh?"

Kazu shuffled around in his seat. As usual his inability to sit still without a proper incentive like the sort Ms. Asagi provided though imminent detentions was causing him to lose focus. The teacher had been called to the office for a moment and would likely be back any minute... you can get pretty distracted in one minute.

"Nothing." Kazu snorted. "And by the way if I paid attention I wouldn't need to look at your answers... duh!"

"I am soooo not giving you a place to stay when you're unemployed and homeless."

"Ha! Who needs your charity?" Kazu turned around to Kenta. "You got my back, right?"

"Sure... I think we have a closet you can use. Oh and you'll have to start calling me Kenta Sensei."

Kazu stared at his friend blankly. "You can't be serious Kenta."

"Kenta Sensei!"

"Two down..." Kazu moaned before turning back to Ryo. To his surprise the famous one had his face buried in a book! "Traitor! Wait... this isn't an open book test. Nice!"

"Relax this is a science textbook." Ryo responded. "I just needed a few minutes of shut eye."

"Dude, we're in science."

"...Crap."

Gingerly Jeri reached out and took down the book. Behind Ryo face looked positively ragged. "Oh dear! What happened to you. Ummm you need to see the nurse?"

"Cyberdramon again?" Kazu asked.

"Yeah, he's been wound extra tight lately. I think it's the digital field. So many opponents and I don't want him just charging in there like he usually does... At least that what I hope it is..." The last part Ryo said without even thinking. When he realized his friends were still looking at him he figured he'd have to explain a bit.

"I wanted to get him back to his Rookie form yesterday but he asked me not to. Said he had to do some thinking as Cyber..." Ryo trailed off. He looked worried, really worried. Although Kazu and Kenta both just passed it off as sleep deprivation to Jeri it was clear something bigger was in play

"I think you'll be alright." The brown haired girl said cheerfully.

"Eh?"

"Even if he acts funny sometimes. He's still your partner."

Ryo forced a smile back at Jeri. "Yeah..." The smile disappeared when he laid his down, still starved for rest. The last sentence he murmured to low for anyone to here. _"That's what I'm afraid of."_

Another class went by and it was time for lunch. Ryo ended up checking into the nurses office after all. He still didn't want to go, but Jeri had a way of making you feel terrible if you didn't. A good hour of sleep might be just what the doctor ordered anyway. Kazu and Kenta naturally headed outside as soon as they were done their lunch and met up with Henry.

"Yo dude! Perfect timing" Kazu hollered. Henry was calmly reading on the grass next to the soccer field and glanced behind him, smiling from ear to ear.

"Hey Kazu, What do you need."

"A decent challange!" Kazu responded holding out card deck. "Kenta goes down so easily there's not even any sport in it anymore."

"Hey I still beat you almost half the time." Kenta responded.

"I rest my case." Kazu continued. "So what do you say?"

Henry chuckled casually. "Sure but I'm not sure I'll be much a challenge with that new card of yours."

Kazu nodded. "Yeah I kinda wanna see how it works. I checked Kenta's card index but his version is old. Not much help."

"Sorry for not having a new one but, some of us pay for our own lunch."

Kazu smirked at his friend. "I'm just outsourcing my food supply."

Henry face palmed, closing his book with his other hand. "Interesting way of putting that. You ever consider being a Public Relations representative. You could work for Hypnos"

"Hmmmm..."

All faces turned to Ayeka standing over the boys. She had one hand holding her chin up with her eyebrows furrowed as if she was thinking deeply.

"Kazu in a suit... Nope, still looks like a monkey."

"Back wicked witch of the east! Back I say!" Kazu made his fingers into a cross and held them against Ayeka. She responded by giving him look as if he were the dumbest most immature animal alive. Kazu probably took that look as a sign he was doing something right.

"I thought the Witch of West was the main villain in Oz." Kenta stated.

"She was." Henry stated, pondering his opening move. "The East got crushed by a house."

Kazu looked up. As far as he was concerned stranger things have happened. Ayeka realized he was probably praying for a house to fall on her and proceeded to punch him in the stomach. When he hunched over she ducked down, she clasped his leg and began pulling him across the grass.

"Let's go 'Dorothy'. We have a track meet today."

"Awww man. Not another one. Tell them I'm sick." Kazu complained.

"They already saw you."

"Then tell them I.. Hey Kenta! You better not be stealing my cards!"

The blue haired boy jumped. "O-of course not. I'm just... gathering them for you."

"Really? Then how 'bout taking those three you put into your pocket and adding them back to the deck."

Kenta did as he was told before scooping them up as best he could and running after Kazu. Henry chuckled for a moment. It was safe to say there match was over. But then his expression darkened... Takato wasn't back yet. He wasn't even sure how worried he should be given the call he made to Yamaki at the beginning of lunch. He may not have a cell phone but fortunately the school office does. Apparently Takato was still in the Digital Field, alive and kicking.

Henry leaned back, a small yelp jolting him straight up. He almost forgotten his partner sleeping right behind him. Normally Henry didn't like bringing Terriermon to school, but given the strange attack at the park, it was beginning to seem like a much better idea to keep his partner on him at all times. He silently thanked himself for choosing a small Digimon when he first played that game so long ago. Guardromon and Cyberdramon, even Guilmon didn't exactly fit on the school grounds.

"Geez Henry you trying to crush me?"

Henry grinned playfully. "Why not. Maybe that'll finally teach you some manners."

"Hey, I am plenty well mannered, compared to Impmon at least."

"Which isn't saying much." Henry chuckled while Terriermon put on a pouty face. "Hey Terriermon... I know I already asked you this but are you sure you have no idea why Takato went off alone."

"Hmmm..." Terriermon put a paw to his chin and pretended to think. "...Goggles to tight?"

"Terriermon~ I'm trying to be serious."

"So am I." The little rabbit/dog giggled. "let's see he nearly destroyed the Digital World with Megidramon after what happened to Leomon, ran off the fight the D Reaper alone to save Jeri..."

"Oh yeah. Good thing Rika and I caught up to him at the tunnel."

"...And speaking of Rika, didn't he almost fall off a train trying to save her. Let's face it Henry. The kid doesn't think to clearly when someone hurts his friends."

"Yeah..." Henry murmured to himself. As annoying as it was, that trait of unyielding loyalty to his friends was impossible to hate. It was just too bad his brain didn't always match his heart. "...Any chance he went in there with a plan."

"About the same as me Digivolving into Angewomon~"

Henry smiled, if only slightly. Yamaki had assured him that Takato's signal was still strong back when there were in the tunnel but then why hadn't he come out yet? Were those chains the problem, was the exit hidden or was it something else. And then there were the other things Yamaki mentioned. It was time for the Tamers to gather together and have another meeting, if only he knew when their goggleheaded leader would return... Maybe Rika and Renamon might know a way too...

"Renamon!" Henry cried.

"Eh? You lost a marble or something Henry?"

"No. She can phase through things. She can get into the digital field and check if Takato's okay. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. I'll go see her right now."

Terriermon wrapped himself around his partner's shoulders as the boy took off post haste. "Momentai!"

Another long chapter. Hopefully I can bring this fight to a close in the next one. I haven't stopped writing I just don't do it as often these days. Thank you to all who keep reading and Rukato forever.


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